Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3549

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Hemminki E.
Commercial information on drugs: confusing the physician?
Journal of Drug Issues 1988; 18:245-257

Abstract:

Physicians’ drug prescribing habits are not adequate. This paper gives examples from Finland suggesting that information given by drug industry is likely to create and reinforce poor prescribing. Results from four different studies looking at the content of the Finnish commercial drug catalogues suggest that physicians relying on them may be led astray. Studies on drug representatives’ presentations in 1975 and 1986 showed that negative aspects of drugs were often omitted. The confusion created by the double name system (trade names and generic names) is illustrated by a survey, showing that physicians did not often know the generic equivalents of the trade names and vice versa. At the end, predictions of possible changes in commercial drug information are presented.

Keywords:
*content analysis/Finland/commercial compendia/sales representatives/quality of information/doctors/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: COMMERCIAL DRUG COMPENDIA/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: DRUG NAME