Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6475

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

Van STAA.
A mutual bond: pharmaceutical representatives and doctors in the Philippines
Essential Drugs Monitor 1994; (17):22-23

Abstract:

Pharmaceutical marketing through medical representatives has an immense impact on doctors’ prescribing patterns. The importance of pharmaceutical representatives to drug promotion is clearly recognized by the industry, yet systematic research into their practices, especially in developing countries, is lacking. In research conducted in the Philippines into the relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical representatives an attempt was made to provide some answers to the question of why doctors are often vulnerable to pharmaceutical marketing. Economic motives only partly explain the interdependency of medical professionals and the pharmaceutical industry in the context of the Philippines. Another important determinant is the specific type of social interaction which takes place during a doctor-drug representative encounter. Pharmaceutical marketing in the Philippines is successful because it incorporates and builds on a number of core Filipino cultural values.

Keywords:
*analysis/Philippines/developing countries/doctors/sales representatives/influence techniques/gift giving/source of information/analysis of prescribing pattern/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: INFLUENCE TECHNIQUES/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS