Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2988

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Christensen DB, Wertheimer AI.
Sources of information and influence on new drug prescribing among physicians in an HMO.
Soc Sci Med 1979 May; 13A:(3):313-22

Abstract:

Doctors working in a Health Maintenance Organization were questioned about their sources of drug information in general and their prescribing patterns were monitored to assess the patterns of communication and influence affecting their decision to prescribe two new drugs. Sales representatives and drug company literature were used very infrequently as general sources of drug information. The most frequently cited source was the Physicians Desk Reference. Doctors frequently heard about the two new drugs from sales representatives and in the case of one of the drugs, sales representatives were the most frequently used source. Drug industry based sources were not the most important source of information influencing the decision to prescribe the new drugs for the first time.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/United States/Health Maintenance Organization/HMO/new drugs/source of information/sales representatives/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: DETAILING Drug Information Services* Drug Therapy Health Maintenance Organizations* Humans Information Services* Interpersonal Relations Prescriptions, Drug* Professional Practice Publishing United States