E-DRUG: Drug promotion & (ir)rational prescribing (contd)
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Dear E-druggers,
In continuation with the discussion on the subject of drug
promotion, I reproduce below abstract of a paper published
in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Syed Rizwanuddin Ahmad
E-Drug moderator
Email: srahmad@essential.org
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Ziegler MG, Lew P, Singer BC. The accuracy of drug information
from pharmaceutical sales representatives.JAMA 1995; 273:1296-8.
Objective: To provide quantitative data about the accuracy of
the information about drugs presented to physicians by
pharmaceutical representatives.
Design: One hundred six statements about drugs made during 13
presentations by pharmaceutical representatives were analyzed
for accuracy. Statements were rated inaccurate if they
contradicted the 1993 Physicians' Desk Reference or material
quoted or handed out by the sales representative.
Setting: University teaching hospital.
Results: Twelve (11 percent) of 106 statements about drugs were
inaccurate. All 12 inaccurate statements were favorable toward
the promoted drug, whereas 39 (49 percent) of 79 accurate
statements were favorable (P=.005). None of 15 statements about
competitors' drugs were favorable, but all were accurate,
significantly (P<.001) differing from statements about promoted
drugs. In a survey of 27 physicians who attended these
presentations, seven (26 percent) recalled any false statement
made by a pharmaceutical representative, and 10 (37 percent)
said information from the representatives influenced the way
they prescribed drugs.
Conclusions: Eleven percent of the statements made by
pharmaceutical representatives about drugs contradicted
information readily available to them. Physicians generally
failed to recognize the inaccurate statements.
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