AN UNHEALTHY ALLIANCE:

A discourse analytic study of General Practitioners and Pharmaceutical Representatives, Gifts and Samples

Lynda Caudle

Healthy Skepticism International News  August-October  2002  Vol 20  No 8-10

Home: www.healthyskepticism.org 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT                                                                                                               iv

DECLARATION                                                                                                      vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS                                                                                     vii

CHAPTER ONE:    INTRODUCTION                                                                    1            Pharmaceutical Promotion

1.1.1.      General Overview

1.1.2.      The Influence of Pharmaceutical Promotion on Prescribing

1.2            Medical Ethics

1.3              Ethical Dilemmas

CHAPTER TWO:    METHODOLOGY                                                                  22

            2.1            Discourse Analysis

2.2              Collection of Data

2.3              Analysis Procedure

2.4              Methodological Issues

2.5              Analysis Outline

CHAPTER THREE:           ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION                                   30

            3.1            The ‘Business’ Repertoire

            3.2            The ‘Information/Knowledge’ Repertoire

            3.3            Discussion

REFERENCES                                                                                                            59

APPENDICES:                                                                                                           67

A:            Information Letter                                                                                

B:            Consent Form                                                                                     

C:            Focus Group Information Sheet                                                   

D:            Focus Group Questions and Issue Statements                               

E:            Transcript Notation                                                                             

F:            MaLAM                                                                                            

G:            AMA Position Statement: Code of Ethics                                     

  H:            ‘Business’ Repertoire Extracts                                                             

I:            ‘Information/Knowledge’ Repertoire Extracts