# E-DRUG: Drug promotion & (ir)rational prescribing

**URL:** <https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-drug-promotion-ir-rational-prescribing/1131>\
**Category:** e-drug\
**Created:** [August 1, 1997, 3:32am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-drug-promotion-ir-rational-prescribing/1131 "1997-08-01T03:32:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![joel.lexchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@joel.lexchin](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/joel.lexchin)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 1997, 3:32am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-drug-promotion-ir-rational-prescribing/1131/1 "1997-08-01T03:32:42Z")

</div>

E-DRUG: Drug promotion & ir(rational) prescribing (contd)  
---------------------------------------------------------

Dear E-druggers,  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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.

----------------------------------------------------------

What information do physicians receive from pharmaceutical  
representatives?

Joel Lexchin, MD, CCFP(EM), DABEM  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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.  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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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