Pharmaceutical promotions and trustworthiness on new drug prescribing among physicians in public general hospitals

Abstract

Objective: The interaction between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry influences physicians’ attitudes and prescribing behaviors. In this regard, physicians’ attitudes towards pharmaceutical promotions and their trustworthiness towards pharmaceutical representatives’ information on new drugs were explored in this study.Methods: The present study was an analysis of a cross-sectional survey of 183 physicians with different job and education hierarchies and from various clinical settings in Erbil-Iraqi Kurdistan in July 2018. The physicians were invited from the public sector, comprising a general, emergency, and pediatric hospital. The information was collected through an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included exposure to marketing activities, motivations to contact pharmaceutical representatives, attitudes towards promotional activities, and trustworthiness of the pharmaceutical representatives’ information on new drugs.Results: Majority of the physicians reported that the information provided by pharmaceutical representatives assisted them in staying up to date or learning about new products (76.5%), but 55.7% of them trusted their medical information. In addition, most of them reported that pharmaceutical representatives prioritized the promotion of their products over patients’ benefits (70.5%). They reported that receiving promotional material and participating in promotional activities have an effect on doctors’ behaviors to prescribe a new drug, including promotional materials (55.2%); medical samples (67.8%); funding of registration costs to conferences (60.1%); participation in industry-funded researches (69.9%); and continuing medical education (69.4%). Receiving promotional materials and participation in promotional activities were considered to be ethical.Conclusions: The present study showed that most of the physicians reported the role of promotional materials and activities on physicians’ behaviors to prescribe new drugs.

Perceptions of the provision of drug information, pharmaceutical detailing and engagement with non-personal promotion at a large physicians network: a mixed-methods study

“… 14 In the present study, qualitative and quantitative findings converged to reveal that primary and specialty care office staff preferred to obtain drug information received through pharmaceutical promotional activities, including sponsored meals for product detailing and drug sample distribution. Other studies have shown that providers agree that the information provided by pharmaceutical representatives help them stay up to date or learn about new pharmaceutical products or indications, 15 which may explain the present study results.…”

Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives in the United States and China: The Need for Professional Public Space

“…Physicians do not need to wade through mountains of literature in their busy schedules as research evidence on drugs will be presented to them during the meeting with PSRs, and conversation makes it easier to remember key information [87]. Drug detailing by PSRs is an effective way to spread information especially when new drugs come to market [2], and physicians' questions and needs can be fed back to pharmaceutical companies easily and directly. If the interactions take place within a professional context and physicians can get more accurate and fair information so that their prescribing behavior can be improved, the PSRs' visits would be welcomed [36].…”

Factors Influencing Prescribing Perceived Utility of Drugs: Experiences from Iraqi Kurdistan

“…30 The close link between the pharmaceutical industry and prescribing drug by doctor has been reported in Iraqi Kurdistan as well. 12 The scholars reported that there is a positive association between patients and requests and prescribing drugs. 31 , 32 It seems that this kind of association is driven by the pressure of patient.…”

“…In Iraqi Kurdistan, the doctors are affected by receiving promotional materials and activities to prescribe a new drug, including medical samples (67.8%); funding of registration costs to conferences (60.1%); participation in industry-funded researches (69.9%); and continuing medical education (69.4%). 12 …”

“…In Iraqi Kurdistan, the doctors are affected by receiving promotional materials and activities to prescribe a new drug, including medical samples (67.8%); funding of registration costs to conferences (60.1%); participation in industry-funded researches (69.9%); and continuing medical education (69.4%). 12 Various studies have sought to examine and interpret the factors that influence the behaviors and practices of physicians regarding prescribing drugs. In the past, many factors have been reported in the literature as having a role in tendencies of doctors to prescribe drugs.…”