Pharmacists Weigh in On Preferences for Naming Biosimilars

Results from a survey of pharmacists show that they prefer naming a biosimilar using the nonproprietary name (or active ingredient) with a designated suffix, but their confidence in dispensing a biosimilar is higher if a biosimilar and reference biologic share the same nonproprietary name.

The researchers surveyed 781 members of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association to determine their perceptions of biosimilar naming conventions and the effect of biosimilar names on dispensing practices. 

In the study, most pharmacists (48.1%) preferred using the nonproprietary name plus a designated suffix to name a biosimilar rather than other naming conventions (26.3% preferred the use of a nonproprietary base alone, 14.2% preferred using a nonproprietary based plus a prefix, and 11.4% preferred using a unique brand name).

However, the survey also found that type of naming convention influenced confidence in substituting biosimilars for the reference biologic. The study found that most pharmacists (62%) reported high levels of confidence when dispensing a biosimilar in place of a reference biologic if the products shared the same nonproprietary name.

A second objective of the study was to measure the burden to pharmacists by the legal and regulatory requirements to complete postdispense notifications. The study found that most pharmacists surveyed (64.9%) perceived an increased burden when having to provide a postdispense notification to prescribers when dispensing biosimilars.

“The results of this study suggest that the naming convention and postdispense notification requirements may affect the willingness of some pharmacists to dispense interchangeable biologics,” the researchers wrote, adding that “the effect will be minimized if interchangeable biologics share the same nonproprietary name as the reference biologics.” —Mary Beth Nierengarten