Healthy Skepticism Library item: 1756

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: news

New Findings on Physicians' Views of Doctors and Prescription Drugs
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2002 Apr 16

Full text:

With attention focused recently on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, findings from a new National Survey of Physicians by the Kaiser Family Foundation shed light on another factor in drug promotion that has received less attention lately – promotion to physicians.

Most physicians say they have received perks from a drug company representative, with the majority (61%) reporting that they have received meals, tickets to events, or free travel. Far fewer say they have received financial incentives to participate in drug trials (12%) or financial or other in-kind benefits (13%). More than nine in ten (92%) physicians say they have received free drug samples from drug company representatives.

Of the $15.7 billion pharmaceutical companies spent on promotional activities in 2000, $13.2 billion went to promotions directly to physicians, including providing free drug samples, detailing by drug company representatives, and journal advertising. This is more than five times the $2.5 billion spent on direct-to-consumer advertising.

When asked their views on information they receive from drug company representatives, nearly three-fourths say it is “very” (15%) or “somewhat” (59%) useful, and more than eight in ten say the information is “very” (9%) or “somewhat” (72%) accurate.

Survey findings also show that physicians see several factors influencing patients’ awareness of drugs. More than six in 10 doctors say prescription drug advertisements influence patients to talk to their physicians at least “somewhat often” (63%), and doctors are even more likely to say the general news media (80%) and friends and family members (80%) are frequent influences.

The National Survey of Physicians is based on a nationally representative random sample of 2,608 physicians. The complete survey results will be released later in 2002, with select findings coming soon on doctors’ opinion about their profession.

Previous materials on direct to consumer advertising by the Kaiser Family Foundation can be found at http://www.kff.org/content/2001/20011129a/ .

The summary and chartpack for the findings from the survey of physicians released today can be found at http://www.kff.org/content/2002/20020415b/ . Findings on doctors’ views of disparities in care were released in March and can be found at http://www.kff.org/content/2002/20020321a/ .

If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Webber at 650.854.9400 or e-mail jwebber@kff.org .

Thank you for your interest.

— The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation