Relevant influence of promotional tools by pharmaceutical industry on prescribing behaviors of doctors: A cross-sectional survey in Pakistan

Abstract

Worldwide drug expenditures have been one of the main concerns of health care managers, and its containment is one of the primary goals of health care authorities. The present study was conducted through a cross sectional survey in Pakistan during January to June, 2010 not only to find out the importance and influence of promotional tools used by pharmaceutical industry on prescribing behaviors of doctors/consultants, but to also establish comparison between doctors/consultants versus medical representatives and consultant versus doctors with an auxiliary of difference between local and multinational company's representative. The study revealed that promotional tools are considered vital from doctors and medical representatives' point of view. There exists significant difference in doctors and consultant's perception for sponsorships and low value gifts, but no difference in scientific promotional tools. No significant difference exits in perception of medical representatives of multinational and local company representatives. The companies tried to come up as per expectations of doctors to build its reputation and good image by employing different promotional tools. The study also revealed that marketing managers, product managers, chief executive officers or any decision makers involved in budget allocations and making promotional strategy should not rely heavily on medical representative's feedback as their perception is different from doctors/consultants about relevant importance of each promotional tool. The study will also help product managers and CEOs while allocating promotional budgets and developing promotional mix strategy, to gain maximum return out of investment. Detailed doctors' demographics can further be researched as predictor for preferring any promotional tools.

Why are National Pharmaceutical Brands more Considered than Multinationals? A case of Pakistan’s Pharmaceutical Industry

“…They are more frequent to provide and remind the right information about their products as compared to a multinational sales representative. Theresearch study results are contrary to Siddiqi et al (2011) who mentioned that scientific tools are more influencing than other promotional tools. Although scientific tools come under the umbrella of promotional tools because any type of investment on HCP with objectives to yield prescription comes under the marketing expenditure for companies.…”

“…HCP also demands different types of goods and services which could be anything either of ethical or unethical nature. According to Siddiqi et al (2011), "HCP prescription is significantly influenced by the scientific tools than all other things", which is contrary to what Ahmed et al (2011), maintains. According to Kremer et al (2008) "direct to HCP promotional material has very high elasticity than direct to price elasticity in studies where the price has been taken as an independent variable".…”

Knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of physicians in low and middle-income countries regarding interacting with pharmaceutical companies: a systematic review

“…Table 1 describes the characteristics of the participants, setting, and type of interaction addressed in each of these studies. The studies were conducted in six different countries: Yemen [ 14 , 15 ], Libya [ 16 ], Turkey, Nigeria [ 17 ], India [ 18 ] and Pakistan [ 19 ], Malaysia [ 20 ], Iraq [ 21 ] and Brazil [ 22 ].…”

“… Rajan 2008 [ 18 ] • Self administered survey questionnaire • General practitioners and specialists from an urban town ( N = 57) • India • Provision of drug information • Sample size calculation: not reported • Sampling frame: not reported • Sampling method: convenience sampling • Response rate: 95 % • Questionnaire based on theoretical model, no validation reported • Perception that product information provided by medical representatives is biased and insufficient: 79 % Scheffer 2014 [ 22 ] • Structured Interview • Physicians in Sao Paolo, Brazil ( N = 300) • October 2007 to May 2009 • Informative materials about ARVs • Visits by sales promoters and sales representatives • Inexpensive objects for the doctor’s office • Invitations to take part in continuing education courses and events Scientific journals sponsored by the laboratories • Sample size calculation: described in detail • Sampling frame: Logistics Control System (SICLOM) of the STD, AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Department of the Ministry of Health in Sao Paolo • Sampling method: stratified random sampling • Response rate: not reported • Validation not reported; pilot testing not reported • Pharmaceutical companies’ actions were considered to have a strong influence (10 %), slight influence (50 %) or no influence (40 %) on physicians’ prescribing of antiretroviral. Siddiqi 2011 [ 19 ] • Self administered questionnaire • General practitioners and consultants ( N = 200) • Various districts of Rawalpindi division, Pakistan • January –June 2010 • Sponsorships • Scientific promotional tools • Personal touch promotional tools Common promotional tools. • Sample size calculation: not reported • Sampling frame: not reported • Sampling method: “Judgmental sampling” • Response rate: 75 % • Questionnaire was adapted from existing one • General practitioners perceived common promotional gifts as most effective tool for changing the prescribing behavior; while sponsorship and personal touch promotional tools are considered neutral and relatively least important.…”

Relación entre promoción farmacéutica y prescripción de medicamentos en Perú

“…Aquí se utilizan diversas fuentes para recolectar datos numéricos tales como: encuestas, entrevistas estructuradas, observaciones, indicadores y evaluaciones de desempeño, información institucional y bases de datos nacionales (McLaughlin, Bush, & Zeeman, 2016). La presente investigación utiliza un amplio cuestionario bajo la misma óptica que has seguido previos estudios cuantitativos y se presentan alguna que guarda relación con el eje central del presente estudio, tales como: Impacto (Vancelik et al, 2007), Influencia (Caamaño, Figueiras, & Gestal-Otero, 2002;Siddiqi et al, 2011) , Percepción (Lieb & Scheurich, 2014;Zaki, 2014), Efecto (Chew et al, 2000;Mizik & Jacobson, 2004;Lieb & Scheurich, 2014;Ijoma et al, 2010) y Actitudes (Burashnikova, Ziganshin, & Ziganshina, 2008;Ventura et al, 2012) de la Promoción Farmacéutica en la prescripción de medicamentos desarrollados en diversos países en los últimos años.…”