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Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13742

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

Iizuka T.
Experts' agency problems: evidence from the prescription drug market in Japan.
Rand J Econ 2007 Aut; 38:(3):844-62
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18478669


Abstract:

This article examined the physician-patient agency relationship in the context of the prescription drug market in Japan. In this market, physicians often both prescribe and dispense drugs and can pocket profits in so doing. A concern is that, due to the incentive created by the mark-up, physicians’ prescription decisions may be distorted. Empirical results using anti-hypertensive drugs suggest that physicians’ prescription choices are influenced by the mark-up. However, physicians are also sensitive to the patient’s out-of-pocket costs. Overall, although the mark-up affects prescription choices, physicians appear more responsive to the patient’s out-of-pocket costs than their own profits from mark-up.

Keywords:
MeSH Terms: Antihypertensive Agents/economics Conflict of Interest/economics* Costs and Cost Analysis/economics Drug Costs* Drug Industry/economics* Drug Utilization Economics, Pharmaceutical* Health Care Sector* Humans Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services Japan Models, Economic Physician's Practice Patterns/economics* Physician-Patient Relations Prescription Fees Prescriptions, Drug/economics* Substances: Antihypertensive Agents

 

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...to influence multinational corporations effectively, the efforts of governments will have to be complemented by others, notably the many voluntary organisations that have shown they can effectively represent society’s public-health interests…
A small group known as Healthy Skepticism; formerly the Medical Lobby for Appropriate Marketing) has consistently and insistently drawn the attention of producers to promotional malpractice, calling for (and often securing) correction. These organisations [Healthy Skepticism, Médecins Sans Frontières and Health Action International] are small, but they are capable; they bear malice towards no one, and they are inscrutably honest. If industry is indeed persuaded to face up to its social responsibilities in the coming years it may well be because of these associations and others like them.
- Dukes MN. Accountability of the pharmaceutical industry. Lancet. 2002 Nov 23; 360(9346)1682-4.