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Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3034

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

Hibberd P.
Use of drug information sources by hospital doctors
Journal of Information Science 1980; 2:169-172


Abstract:

We have carried out a survey of 155 hospital doctors to find out how they: 1) learn about new drugs, and 2) check on basic prescribing details. We found that 85% of the respondents used the commercially produced Monthly Index of Medical Specialties (MIMS) to learn about the existence of a new drug, but the majority of doctors turned to sources of information produced by the medical profession to learn about the efficacy of a new drug. MIMS was considered an important source for checking on most basic prescribing details, but was closely rivalled by the British National Formulary (BNF). Although there are numerous drug information sources in existence, it appears that no available source meets all the needs of the prescribing doctor. We suggest that this unsatisfactory situation might be overcome by: 1) producing a revised type ofdrug reference manual; 2) providing a comprehensive drug information service run by clinical pharmacologists and drug information pharmacists with cooperation from the pharmaceutical industry to back up this manual.

 

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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.