Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3123

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

Strickland-Hodge B, Jepson MH.
Identification and characterization of early and late prescribers in general practice.
J R Soc Med 1982 May; 75:(5):341-5

Abstract:

National Health Service prescriptions written by general medical practitioners in one urban area were analyzed over a fifteen-month period to classify doctors into those who prescribed a named drug early or relatively later in its market life. A questionnaire, designed to answer a number of hypotheses intended to characterize these groups of practitioners, was mailed to the 100 doctors in each group. Statistical analysis of the results suggests that there are several identifiable characteristic differences between “early” and “late” prescribers. Early prescribers have larger list sizes than late prescribers and rely more on commercial sources for information about drugs.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/United Kingdom/primary care doctors/source of information/analysis of prescribing pattern/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS Advertising Cimetidine/therapeutic use England Family Practice Humans Periodicals Prescriptions, Drug* Reading Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't