Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2972

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

Shearer SW, Gagnon JP, Eckel FM.
Community, hospital and clinical pharmacists and drug information centers as physician drug information sources.
Am J Hosp Pharm 1978 Aug; 35:(8):909-14

Abstract:

The use of drug information centers and clinical, hospital and community pharmacists by university and community practice physicians in North Carolina was examined. Questionnaires were sent to 674 nonfederal physicians with a response rate of 203 (35.5%). Approximately half of the sample were staff members of a university hospital. The questionnaire covered eight types of drug information. Significant results were reported at the p = 0.05 level. Physicians sought specific drug information approximately one to four times a month. University hospital-affiliated physicians rated clinical and hospital pharmacists significantly higher than community pharmacists for six subject areas, and they also ranked clinical pharmacists over hospital pharmacists on four subject areas and considered them more reliable than other pharmacy drug information sources. Physicians associated with community hospitals ranked hospital pharmacists over community pharmacists as sources of information for four areas and rated them more reliable than other pharmacy drug information sources; this group preferred to use community pharmacists for information on product availability. It appears that clinical pharmacists are used by university-associated physicians as drug information sources. Use in community hospitals of the hospital pharmacist as a drug information source is better than the literature might suggest.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/United States/doctors/source of information/attitude toward promotion/Physicians’ Desk Reference/PDR/commercial compendia/sales representatives/journal advertisements/direct mail/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSION STUDENTS/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS Attitude of Health Personnel Community Pharmacy Services/utilization Drug Information Services/utilization* Information Services/utilization* North Carolina Pharmaceutical Services/utilization* Pharmacy Service, Hospital/utilization Physicians* Questionnaires Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.