Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3291

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

Putnam RW, Fox RD, Mazmanian PE.
Report to Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada: an analysis of drug prescribing changes by physicians
1985;

Abstract:

58 doctors in 4 metropolitan areas in Canada and 11 in the United States were questioned about changes in their prescribing behaviour. Sales representatives were the third most frequently used human resources behind colleagues and consultants. Sales representatives and material provided by pharmaceutical companies, such as packaging inserts and file cards with prescribing information, were very important and frequent resources. The industry provided 17% of the first resources that could be recalled by the physician and 27% of all resources used. That utilization of pharmaceutical supplied resources affected 48.6% (36 out of 74) of all drug prescribing changes.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/United States/Canada/doctors/source of information/value of promotion/sales representatives/ promotional literature/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: DETAILING/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: PACKAGE INSERTS