E-DRUG: Drug promotion & ir(rational) prescribing (contd)
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Dear E-druggers,
Continuing on with the discussion about the activities of
pharmaceutical sales representatives I have included an
abstract of a recent article of mine which combines the
information in Libby Roughead's thesis, the article in
JAMA by Ziegler that Rizwan mentioned in his e mail, plus
two studies done in Finland by Elina Hemminki.
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What information do physicians receive from pharmaceutical
representatives?
Joel Lexchin, MD, CCFP(EM), DABEM
OBJECTIVE
To assess the information pharmaceutical sales representatives
provide to physicians.
DATA SOURCES
A MEDLINE search from January 1966 to May 1996 was done using
combinations of the terms pharmaceutical industry, drug
information services, drug utilization, physician's practice
patterns and prescriptions, and drugs. Studies identified from
this search were supplemented by material from my personal
library.
STUDY SELECTION
Studies had to be conducted in industrialized countries, based
on direct observations of actual physician and sales
representative contacts, and reporting quantitative results on
the quality of information transmitted.
SYNTHESES
Four studies were included. Representatives usually mentioned
the indications for their drugs, but omitted safety information.
Representatives' information frequently contained inaccuracies.
CONCLUSION
Sales representatives present only selected, usually positive
information about their products. Canadian doctors should not be
passive recipients of information provided by sales
representatives. Physicians who choose to continue to see
representatives must compare the information they get from
them critically with that contained in scientific publications.
Can Fam Physician 1997;43:941-945.
Joel Lexchin MD
121 Walmer Rd.
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA M5R 2X8
Phone: (416)-964-7186
Fax: (416)-923-9515
email: joel.lexchin@utoronto.ca
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