IJCEM Copyright © 2008-All rights reserved. Published by e-Century Publishing Corporation, Madison, WI 53711
Int J Clin Exp Med 2013;6(8):724-726

Original Article
Impact of brand-name drug worship and expectation psychology on antidepressant
efficacy

Jian Cai, Meirong Ye, Chunhua Fei, Feng Xu

Fengxian Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s
Hospital South Campus, Shanghai, China

Received July 14, 2013; Accepted August 15, 2013; Epub September 1, 2013; Published September 15, 2013

Abstract: The choice of the generic drug is reasonable if there is evidence for its therapeutic equivalence with the brand-name drug.
However, the reduced effectiveness of switching from brand-name drug to generic drug is not rare. The impact of brand-name worship
and expectation psychology on drug efficacy is noteworthy to report. A 45-year-old woman suffered from depression mood disorder.
She experienced profound improvement in her depressive symptoms after a switch from domestic generic venlafaxine to imported
brand-name counterpart. The interview showed that the woman has a strong brand-name drug worship and expectation psychology,
which is representative, typical and popular in China especially in vast rural areas. Medication education does not work too much. The
brand-name drug worship and expectation psychology might improve drug efficacy when patient is switched from generic drug to
branded medication. (IJCEM1307009).

Keywords: Antidepressant, brand-name, difference, generic, psychology

Address correspondence to: Dr. Feng Xu, Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital
South Campus, 6600 Nanfeng Hwy, Shanghai 201400, China. Tel: 0086-21 57422032; Fax: 0086-21 57422032; E-mail:
andrewfxu1998@gmail.com