Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4050

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

Cockerill R.
Report on the 1989 survey of the dispensing practices and attitudes toward prescription drugs of Ontario pharmacists
1990;

Abstract:

Pharmacists report relatively little contact with sales representatives. The majority place few, if any, restrictions on visits by these people and they indicate that they have been offered very few benefits by them. The most important sources of information for pharmacists are the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, journal articles and drug information centres. Pharmaceutical company representatives and ads and promotional literature are ranked as least important, but even with these sources, approximately a quarter of the pharmacists claimed they are an important, or very important source of information. Pharmacists licensed after 1980 are more likely to rely on journal articles, drug information centres and consultations with prescribers and pharmacists for their drug information. Only about half of the pharmacists feel that there is a potential conflict of interest in pharmacists accepting benefits from pharmaceutical companies, and this percent is significantly lower for those licensed after 1980. Only about half agree that the Ontario College of Pharmacists should set and enforce guidelines for conflict of interest concerning benefits from pharmaceutical companies. Pharmacists are supportive of regulations requiring drug companies to include information about contraindications, side-effects and costs in their advertisements.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/Canada/pharmacies and pharmacists/source of information/value of promotion/sales representatives/conflict of interest/gift giving/regulation of promotion/guidelines, discussion of/quality of information/safety & risk information/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSION STUDENTS/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: GIFT GIVING/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: PHARMACISTS/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: DETAILING/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS