Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4088
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
Peay MY, Peay ER.
Patterns of preference for information sources in the adoption of new drugs by specialists.
Soc Sci Med 1990; 31:(4):467-76
Abstract:
The present study investigated the adoption of new prescription drugs by specialists who treat serious disorders using relatively high risk drugs with potentially serious side effects. One-hundred and fifty-six specialists, primarily practicing in medical specialties, evaluated a number of drug information sources and reported their use of these sources both in their general drug adoption procedures and in the adoption of one of a number of target drugs. As predicted, the pattern of drug adoption among specialists is substantially different from that generally reported in earlier studies, which are usually based on samples of general practitioners or of general practitioners and specialists combined. Professional sources of information predominate throughout the process, both in adoption procedures generally used and in the adoption of target drugs. The majority of specialists reported contact with commercial sources at some stage in the adoption process for the target drugs, but these sources were not, as is often reported in the literature, the main sources of first news of a new drug, nor did they exert much influence at the prescribing stage. It is clear from these results that in future research on drug innovation, different classes of medical practitioners, such as specialists vs general practitioners, will need to be distinguished.
Keywords:
*analytic survey/Australia/source of information/new drugs/specialists/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS
Attitude of Health Personnel
Australia
Diffusion of Innovation
Drug Information Services/utilization*
Drug Utilization
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Prescriptions, Drug
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Specialties, Medical/statistics & numerical data*
