Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8572

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

Hammel RW, Holberg PA.
Ban the use of pharmaceutical trademarks?
Medical Marketing and Media 1976 May; 11:28, 30, 32-37

Abstract:

An anonymous questionnaire was sent to randomly selected samples of 300 pharmacists and 300 physicians practicing in Wisconsin to measure and assess attitudes towards the concept of banning the use of trademarks in the prescription drug industry. Results showed that 44% of the pharmacists and 29% of the physicians responding favored the proposal to prohibit pharmaceutical trademarks. The type of pharmacy practice did not have a significant relationship to pharmacists’ opinion, but a large majority of physicians in private practice, as opposed to those in hospital practice, were against the proposal. Likewise, both pharmacy and medical practitioners with the least amount of practice experience tended to favor the proposal more than did more experienced practitioners. Finally, few pharmacists or physicians thought adopting the proposal would improve the quality of patient care.