Drug Companies Influence Doctor's Prescribing Trends

A new study claims that prescription drugs promoted by pharmaceutical companies enjoy higher prescribing frequency, even when they are not the most suitable medicines.

Researchers at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), the International Islamic University Malaysia (Pahang), and other institutions conducted an analysis of 58 studies--held in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, France, Estonia, Turkey, and Australia--of physicians with prescribing rights who were exposed to information from pharmaceutical companies (promotional or otherwise). Exposures included pharmaceutical sales representative visits, journal advertisements, attendance at pharmaceutical sponsored meetings, mailed information, prescribing software, and participation in sponsored clinical trials. The outcomes measured were quality, quantity, and cost of physicians' prescribing.

The researchers found that of the set of studies examining prescribing quality outcomes, five found associations between exposure to pharmaceutical company information and lower quality prescribing, four did not detect an association, and one found associations with lower and higher quality prescribing. Thirty-eight included studies found associations between exposure and higher frequency of prescribing, and 13 did not detect an association. Five included studies found evidence for association with higher costs, four found no association, and one found an association with lower costs. The study was published on October 19, 2010, in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.

"You couldn't say that information from pharmaceutical companies benefited doctor's prescribing, which is what pharmaceutical companies claim,” said lead author Geoffrey Spurling, M.D., of the University of Queensland. "Many doctors claim they are not influenced and having done the review, that is not supported. You have to say that at least some of the time, doctors are influenced.”

Pharmaceutical companies spent US$57.5 billion on pharmaceutical promotion in the United States alone in 2004. The industry claims that promotion provides scientific and educational information to physicians; the physicians, however, hold a wide range of views regarding pharmaceutical promotion.

Related Links:
University of Queensland
International Islamic University Malaysia