BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical representatives are a vital component of the marketing of pharmaceutical products and an important source of prescribing information for general practitioners. AIM: A study was undertaken to explore the attitudes of New Zealand general practitioners to pharmaceutical representatives. METHOD: A questionnaire survey of 100 general practitioners was undertaken to which 67 general practitioners responded. RESULTS: The provision of practical prescribing advice by representatives and gifts relevant to medicine were seen as desirable activities by many respondents. However, gifts of value considerably greater than suggested acceptable in recent guidelines for general practitioners were also highly favoured by some practitioners. CONCLUSION: Current ethical guidelines setting out the relationship between pharmaceutical representatives and medical practitioners are inadequate and should be based on the need for the general practitioner to become an unbiased promoter of patient health.
BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical representatives are a vital component of the marketing of pharmaceutical products and an important source of prescribing information for general practitioners. AIM: A study was undertaken to explore the attitudes of New Zealand general practitioners to pharmaceutical representatives. METHOD: A questionnaire survey of 100 general practitioners was undertaken to which 67 general practitioners responded. RESULTS: The provision of practical prescribing advice by representatives and gifts relevant to medicine were seen as desirable activities by many respondents. However, gifts of value considerably greater than suggested acceptable in recent guidelines for general practitioners were also highly favoured by some practitioners. CONCLUSION: Current ethical guidelines setting out the relationship between pharmaceutical representatives and medical practitioners are inadequate and should be based on the need for the general practitioner to become an unbiased promoter of patient health.
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Empirical Approach; Health Care and Public Health
Authors: Michael A Steinman; G Michael Harper; Mary-Margaret Chren; C Seth Landefeld; Lisa A Bero Journal: PLoS Med Date: 2007-04 Impact factor: 11.069
Authors: Tamara Lotfi; Rami Z Morsi; Nada Zmeter; Mohammad W Godah; Lina Alkhaled; Lara A Kahale; Hala Nass; Hneine Brax; Racha Fadlallah; Elie A Akl Journal: BMC Res Notes Date: 2015-11-25