The following presentation contains some items
that are covered by copyright and are used
under Fair Use for education and the federally
legislated TEACH Act. Any use for other
purposes must follow U.S. copyright rules.
Click to edit Master title style
The contents of this module are accurate at the
timeMaster
of publication.
Click to edit
subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
1. I prefer to avoid all interactions with pharmaceutical representatives.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master title style
2. I don’t mind talking with pharmaceutical representatives.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
3. Pharmaceutical representatives can be a useful resource.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master title style
4. I get useful information from pharmaceutical representatives.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Click to edit Master title style
Pharmaceutical Marketing
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master text styles
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Objectives
Prescribers will be able to:
• Demonstrate understanding that
pharmaceutical
representative
are
Click
to edit Master
titlevisits
style
part of a highly structured marketing
campaign with the goal of increasing
product
Click
tosales.
edit Master subtitle style
• Recognize the marketing techniques used
by pharmaceutical representatives and
their impact on prescribing.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Case
It is noon-time in your busy clinic
Curious
and
hungry
you head
to
the door
Click
to
edit
Master
title
style
and see the rep from GBU
pharmaceuticals
Click to edit Master subtitle style
You are having a busy day and your
stomach starts to grumble...
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
What would you do?
(Please choose an answer below)
A. Try to slip into the room and get some food without
talking to anyone?
B. Go into the room to get some lunch, and listen to the
pharmaceutical representative’s talking points?
C. Come up with a specific question about the
pharmaceutical representative’s product to ask
before
Click to edit Master subtitle style
going in to get your lunch?
D. Go to the café for lunch?
Click to edit Master title style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Pharm Rep Training
Focused biomedical and
product training
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master
subtitle style
Marketing, sales and
persuasion
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Pharm Rep Job Description
“The physician is eating with a friend. You
are
eating
Click
towith
edita client.”
Master title style
-Shahram Ahari
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Fugh-Berman A, et al. PLoS Med. 2007;4(4):e150.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Detailing
Detail - n. [di-′tāl, ′dē-tāl ] - extended
treatment
of or attention
particular
Click
to edit
Mastertotitle
style
items
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Detailing - v. [di-′tāl, ′dē-tāl ] - to report
minutely and distinctly
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. “Detail." Merriam-Webster online dictionary. 2008. Available at: http://www.merriamwebster.com. Accessed January 22, 2008.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Promotion of Prescription Drugs
$27.7 billion
100%
Targeting
Consumers
80%
60%
Click to edit Master title style
40%
Targeting
Physicians
Over
100,000
pharma
sales reps
20%
0%
Click to edit Master subtitle style
2004
It is estimated that drug companies spent $7.3 billion dollars on sales
rep contacts (including free lunches and pens)
Springen, K. Newsweek. 2006. Available at: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15143275/site/newsweek/. Accessed
October, 2006.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Pharmaceutical Branding of
Resident Physicians
90%
85%
79%
80%
Click to edit Master title style
55%
60%
40%
20%
31%
14%
Click to edit Master subtitle style
al
cu
la
to
r
C
am
m
H
R
ef
le
x
al
ip
er
s
er
g
Ta
e
te
th
os
co
p
S
R
ef
er
en
ce
B
P
oo
k
en
0%
C
Percentage of Residents Carrying Item with
Pharmaceutical Brand
100%
Sigworth S, et al. J Am Med Assoc. 2001;286(9):1024-1025.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
100%
83%
78%
80%
94%
83%
Click to edit Master title style
60%
40%
26%
18%
20%
th
es
e
A
ny
of
Fo
od
Sp
ea
ki
ng
g
ul
tin
on
s
C
is
si
on
E
Ad
m
G
pl
es
Sa
m
ru
g
ift
s
Click to edit Master subtitle style
0%
C
D
16%
M
Percentage of Respondents
Percentage of Physicians with Physician-Industry
Relationships According to Benefit Received
Campbell E, et al. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:1742-1750.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Average number of meeting with
industry representatives per month
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
16
Click to edit Master title style
10
9
8
4
2
is
t
s
on
s
si
o
lo
g
rg
e
he
An
es
t
tri
di
a
Pe
Su
ci
an
s
s
is
t
og
te
In
ad
io
l
C
Fa
m
ily
M
ed
ic
in
rn
is
t
e
s
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Campbell E, et al. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:1742-1750.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Physicians say…
How useful is information from drug industry
representatives about diseases or treatments?
5%
2%
15%
20%
74%
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle
59% style
Very Useful
Somewhat useful
Not very useful
Not at all useful
No Answer
Kaiser Family Foundation. National survey of physicians. March 2002.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Physicians say…
In general, how accurate is the information that drug industry
representatives provide about diseases and treatment options?
1% 4%
9%
13%
Click to edit Master title style
81%
Click to edit Master subtitle
style
72%
Very accurate
Somewhat accurate
Not very accurate
Not at all accurate
No Answer
Kaiser Family Foundation. National survey of physicians. March 2002.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Quote from Prescriber
– “Sometimes we don’t even talk about
drugs, we just chat about the kids and it’s
Click
to
edit
Master
title
style
good to have a relaxed and friendly lunch.”
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Fischer MA, et al. Unpublished data; Manuscript in submission.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
How does this make you feel?
(Please enter your answer below)
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Quote from Prescriber
• “I must admit that for all the years that I have
been prescribing drugs and practicing, I have
always been conflicted about that, especially
Click
to
edit
Master
title
style
when I look at … some of the perks that
some of the physicians get.”
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Fischer MA, et al. Unpublished data; Manuscript in submission.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Detailing
Pharma industry research suggests
Click
to edit
Master
“quality”
detailing
retains itstitle
value style
in
changing prescriber behavior
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Pharmaceutical Executive, IMS Health. From message to prescription: new techniques for determining message impact.
Special Reports. Executive Summaries of IMS & Pharmaceutical Executive Webcasts. Broadcast live on November 15, 2006.
Available at: http://pharmexec.findpharma.com/pharmexec/form/formDetail.jsp?formId=440205 Accessed January 23, 2007.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
“We
can’t
do
it
like
we
always
did,
Click to edit Master title style
with a cookie-cutter approach”
-Suneet Varma
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Pharmaceutical Executive, IMS Health. From message to prescription: new techniques for determining message impact.
Special Reports. Executive Summaries of IMS & Pharmaceutical Executive Webcasts. Broadcast live on November 15, 2006.
Available at: http://pharmexec.findpharma.com/pharmexec/form/formDetail.jsp?formId=440205 Accessed January 23, 2007.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
What do pharm reps know about
you?
Prescribing patterns
Click to edit Master title style
Demographics of practice
Click to
edit Master subtitle style
Personal
information
Greene JA. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:742-748.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
How do you feel about the fact that
pharmaceutical reps have this
information about you?
(Please enter your answer below)
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Physicians say…
Do drug company representatives receive information about how
often you prescribe certain drugs?
6%
Click to edit Master title style
Click 34%
to edit Master subtitle
60% style
Yes
No
No Answer
Kaiser Family Foundation. National survey of physicians. March 2002.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Physicians say…
Suppose that drug company representatives do receive this information, which
of the following statements comes closest to your opinion of this practice?
4%
22%
Click to edit Master title style
31%
74%
Click to edit Master subtitle
style
43%
I have no problem with them collecting and using this info
It bothers me, but I understand why they do it
It is unacceptable for them to collect and use this information
No Answer
Kaiser Family Foundation. National survey of physicians. March 2002.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
A Physician Survey of the Effect of Drug
Sample Availability on Physicians’
Behavior
• 131 of 154 general medicine and family physicians
(University-based clinics, 79 residents, 52
attendings) questionnaire.
Click to edit Master title style
• Three hypothetical clinical scenarios: Patient with
Click to edit
Master
subtitle style
uncomplicated
urinary
tract infection,
hypertension, depression.
Chew L, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2000;15:478-483.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
A Physician Survey of the Effect of Drug
Sample Availability on Physicians’
Behavior
• 92% said they would prescribe a diuretic or bblocker as initial therapy.
Click to edit Master title style
• When samples were made available, 32 of the 35
(91%) physicians who said they would give a drug
Click
to edit
Master
subtitlefrom
style
sample
selected
a drug
that differed
their
preferred choice.
Chew L, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2000;15:478-483.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
A Physician Survey of the Effect of Drug
Sample Availability on Physicians’
Behavior
Patient now has health insurance, blood pressure
controlled on sample drug.
Click to edit Master title style
69% said they would write a prescription for the
sampled medication rather than switch therapy.
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Chew L, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2000;15:478-483.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Types of Prescribers
(Defined by Pharma)
Independents
Click to edit Master title style
Transactionals
Click Knowledge
to edit Master
subtitle style
Seekers
Relationship Seekers
Stievater DN, et al. Pharm Exec. 2006, Sep 1.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Independents
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
For more information on practicing evidence-based
medicine, see the EBM module
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Transactionals
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
For more information on this please see the ProviderPharmaceutical Representative (PR) Communication module
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Knowledge Seekers
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Relationship Seekers
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
What ‘type’ of prescriber are you?
(Please choose an answer below)
Independent
Click to edit Master title style
Transactional
Click to Knowledge
edit Master Seeker
subtitle style
Relationship Seeker
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Other Types of Marketing to
Prescribers
Emails
Click
to
edit
Master
title
style
Faxes
CDs
in mail
Click
to edit Master subtitle style
Thumb Drives
in the mail
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Professional Societies and
Conferences
2006 showed that pharmaceutical companies
spent up to $65 million annually on CME
Click to edit Master title style
Averaged $15 million per company
Click to edit Master subtitle style
70% said they would maintain or increase that
spending in the following year
Lab Business Week (via NewsRx.com). Continuing medical education spending to increase in 2007. 2006, Sep 25. Available
at: http://www.newsrx.com/article.php?articleID=359443 Accessed March 8, 2007.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Peer-reviewed Journals
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Fugh-Berman A, et al. PLoS Med. 2006;3(6):e130.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Academic Medical Centers
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Campbell E, et al. J Am Med Assoc. 2007;298:1779-1786.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Spending on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising
(billions of dollars)
The Development of Direct-to-Consumer
Prescription Drug Advertising
4.5
4.0
4.2
4.0
3.3
3.5
Click to edit Master title style
3.0
2.5
2.7
2.6
2.5
1.8
2.0
1.5
1.0
1.1
1.3
Click to edit Master subtitle style
0.5
0.0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Kessler D, et al. Ann Fam Med. 2007;5(1):4-5.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Power of Drug
Advertising
– $236 million spent ‘03-’06
to edit
–Click
Sales $1.2
billion Master
in ’04
title style
– Est.
10 million
Click
to editAmericans
Master subtitle style
– Lamisil cures 38%
Langreth, R et al. 2006. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0508/094a. Accessed October, 2006.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Direct to Consumer
Advertising
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Medical Marketing & Media. Available at: http://www.mmm-online.com/Exploring-alternate-media-avenues/article/24909/.
Accessed October 22, 2007.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Patient Support Groups
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Ginsberg T. Philadelphia Inquirer. 2006, May 28;A:01; Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) Foundation. Restless Leg Syndrome
Foundation 2007annual report. Available at: http://www.rls.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Document.Doc?&id=1282 Accessed
August 13, 2008.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Monitoring
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
Pew Foundation. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/index.asp.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Academic Detailing
Presentation of data on clinical
pharmacology and cost issues
Click to edit Master
title
style
Presented
by trained
Click to edit
pharmacists or other
professionals without links to
the subtitle
pharmacy style
industry
Master
Shown to improve prescribing
decisions and reduce costs
Avorn J, et al. N Engl J Med. 1983;308(24):1457-1463.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Key Points
PR visits are part of a highly structured
marketing campaign with the goal of
increasing product sales
– Prescriber detailing, sponsored CME
Click
to
edit
Master
title
style
programs, professional society, conference
and academic center grant support, DTC
advertising, sponsored patient support groups
to edit Master
subtitle style
areClick
all marketing
strategies
– Industry monitors prescribing patterns and
patient usage often without public knowledge
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Recommendations
– Be alert to marketing techniques
– Know yourself
– Talk to patients and office staff about the
Click
to edit
Master title style
involvement
of pharma
– Consider approaches to limit personal and
professional contact
Click to edit Master subtitle style
– Contact local institutions/professional
societies to learn about local academic
detailing
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Recommendations
– For more information, resources, and skills on
managing pharmaceutical marketing see our
modules on:
Click
to edit Master
title style
• Provider-Pharmaceutical
Representative
(PR)
Communication
• Communicating with Patients
Click to edit Master subtitle style
• Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Case
It is noon-time in your busy clinic
Curious
and
hungry
you head
to
the door
Click
to
edit
Master
title
style
and see the rep from GBU
pharmaceuticals
Click to edit Master subtitle style
You are having a busy day and your
stomach starts to grumble...
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
What would you do?
(Please choose an answer below)
A. Try to slip into the room and get some food without
talking to anyone?
B. Go into the room to get some lunch, and listen to the
pharmaceutical representative’s talking points?
C. Come up with a specific question about the
pharmaceutical representative’s product to ask
before
Click to edit Master subtitle style
going in to get your lunch?
D. Go to the café for lunch?
Click to edit Master title style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
References

Avorn J, Soumerai SB. Improving drug-therapy decisions through educational outreach: a randomized
controlled trail of academically based “detailing”. N Engl J Med. 1983;308(24):1457-1463.

Campbell E, Gruen R, Mountford J, Miller L, Cleary P, Blumenthal D. A national survey of physician–industry
relationships. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:1742-1750.

Campbell E, Weissman J, Ehringhaus S, et al. Institutional academic–industry relationships. J Am Med
Assoc. 2007;298:1779-1786.

Chew L, O'Young T, Hazlet T, Bradley K, Maynard C, Lessler D, A physician survey of the effect of drug
sample availability on physicians' behavior. J Gen Intern Med. 2000;15:478-483.

Fischer MA, Keough ME, Baril J, Saccocio L, Mazor KM, Ladd E, Von Worley A, Gurwitz J. Attitudes of
prescribers towards pharmaceutical marketing: needs assessment and implications for training and policy.
Unpublished data; Manuscript in submission.

Fugh-Berman A, Ahari S. Following the script: how drug reps make friends and influence doctors. PLoS Med.
2007;4(4):e150.

Fugh-Berman A, Alladin K, Chow J. Advertising in medical journals: should current practices change? PLoS
Med. 2006;3(6):e130.

Ginsberg T. Donations tie drug firms and nonprofits: many patient groups reveal few, if any, details on
relationships with pharmaceutical donors. Philadelphia Inquirer. 2006, May 28;A:01.

Greene JA. Pharmaceutical marketing research and the prescribing physician. Ann Intern Med.
2007;146:742-748.

Kaiser Family Foundation. National survey of physicians. March, 2002.
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
References

Kessler D, Levy D. Direct-to-consumer advertising: is it too late to manage the risks? Ann Fam Med.
2007;5:4-5.

Lab Business Week (via NewsRx.com). Continuing medical education spending to increase in 2007. 2006,
Sep 25. Available at: http://www.newsrx.com/article.php?articleID=359443 Accessed March 8, 2007.

Langreth, R., Herper, H. Pill pushers. 2006. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0508/094a.
Accessed October, 2006.

Medical Marketing & Media. Available at: http://www.mmm-online.com/Exploring-alternate-mediaavenues/article/24909/. Accessed October 22, 2007.

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. “Detail”. Merriam-Webster online dictionary. 2008. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com. Accessed January 22, 2008.

Pew Foundation. Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/index.asp.

Pharmaceutical Executive, IMS Health. From message to prescription: new techniques for determining
message impact. Special Reports. Executive Summaries of IMS & Pharmaceutical Executive Webcasts.
Broadcast live on November 15, 2006. Available at:
http://pharmexec.findpharma.com/pharmexec/form/formDetail.jsp?formId=440205 Accessed January 23,
2007.
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) Foundation. Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation 2007annual report. Available
at: http://www.rls.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Document.Doc?&id=1282 Accessed August 13, 2008.

Sigworth S, Nettleman M, Cohen G. Pharmaceutical branding of resident physicians. J Am Med Assoc.
2001;286:1024-1025.

Springen, K. Saying no to big pharma. Newsweek. 2006. Available at:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15143275/site/newsweek/. Accessed October, 2006.

Stievater DN, Petersen A, Bhatia R. Sewing up new sales. Pharmaceutical Exec. 2006, Sep 1.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Resources
•
•
Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs
http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/index.htm
•
•
Journal Watch
http://www.jwatch.org/
•
•
Medical Letter
http://www.medicalletter.org/
•
•
Medline (through the U.S. National Library of Medicine)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed
Click to edit Master title style
Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program Initiated Resources
http://www.rxfacts.org/
Click to edit Master
subtitle style
•
Brigham & Women's Hospital
•
Georgetown University
http://www.pharmedout.org/
•
MGH Institute of Health Professionals
http://www.perxinfo.org/perx.html
•
University of Kentucky
http://www.cecentral.com/
•
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
http://harryguess.unc.edu/
•
University of Massachusetts Medical School/
Meyers Primary Care Institute
http://www.umassmed.edu/meyers/index.aspx
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Resources
Additional Learning Modules in This Series
 Communicating with Patients
 Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)
Click to edit Master title style
 Organizational Influences on Prescribing
 Pharmaceutical Development and Regulation
Click to edit MasterRepresentative
subtitle style (PR)
 Provider-Pharmaceutical
Communication
 Links to Web-Access and Downloadable Versions Available at:
http://www.umassmed.edu/meyers/index.aspx
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
1. A 2002 Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that MOST physicians
believe that the information from drug companies is at least somewhat
accurate.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
1. A: True.
This 2002 Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 74% of doctors report
that the information provided by drug companies is at least somewhat useful,
Click to edit Master title style
and an even larger margin, 84% feel that it is at least somewhat accurate.
This may be one reason that so many prescribers rely on information from
pharmaceutical companies to maintain and add to their knowledge of
medications.Click
Our module
questions
whethersubtitle
that is an effective
to edit
Master
styleapproach.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
2. Medline is funded by the pharmaceutical industry.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
2. B: False.
Medline is a service of the National Library of Medicine, and is freely
available to all (prescribers or patients) over the internet.
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
3. The bulk of the money that the pharmaceutical industry spends on
promoting prescription drugs is spent on promoting drugs to prescribers.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
3. A: True.
As reported in Newsweek in 2006, approximately 80% of the nearly $28
billion spent on promoting prescription drugs in the year 2004 targeted
Click to edit Master title style
prescribers (this includes medical journal advertising, detailing and
sampling).
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
4. Free samples influence prescribing.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
4. A: True.
A study of hypothetical cases published in the Journal of General Internal
Medicine in 2000 reported that the availability of sample drugs changed the
Click to edit Master title style
initial prescribing choices of 91% of physicians from guideline concordant to
sample medication when treating hypertension in patients without insurance.
The study also determined that if those same patients later acquired health
insurance 69%
of physicians
would
continuesubtitle
the sampledstyle
medication rather
Click
to edit
Master
than switch to a guideline concordant treatment.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
5. More than half of the promotional funds for prescription drugs are spent on
samples.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
5. A: True.
The same Newsweek article mentioned above reported that the majority of
the nearly $28 billion spent on promoting prescription drugs is spent on
Click to edit Master title style
samples.
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
6. Pharmaceutical companies purchase detailed information on physicians’
prescribing practices.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
6. A: True.
Although some states have limited these practices, pharmaceutical
companies can purchase information regarding physician prescribing
Click to edit Master title style
practices. They can then use this information to target detailing to change
these practices, and follow prescribing data to determine if their detailing is
effective.
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
7. The major journals, such as JAMA, NEJM, and BMJ refuse drug
advertisements that could be misleading.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
7. B: False.
Most journals would refuse drug advertisements that were overtly incorrect,
however one objective of advertising is to highlight benefits of a drug, and as
Click to edit Master title style
such many are misleading. Our module on Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)
offers several examples of misleading advertisements.
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
8. At least some pharmaceutical companies “type” prescribers in order to
tailor their approach to the prescriber.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
8. A: True.
The types that have been described in pharmaceutical marketing trade
magazines include Independent, Transactional, Knowledge Seeker,
Click to edit Master title style
Relationship Seeker. Identifying the type that fits you most may help you to
respond better to detailing and resist undue influence on your prescribing.
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
9. The information on Consumer Reports BestBuy website on drugs has been
shown to be biased.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
9. B: False.
Consumer Reports BestBuy drugs website relies on independent and
unbiased analysis of published drug efficacy data and is thus an excellent
Click to edit Master title style
resource for clinicians and patients to learn about medications.
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
10. The term “academic detailing” refers to a special type of training session
that is ONLY available to academic physicians.
A. True
B. False
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Answer
10. B: False.
Academic detailing involves presenting objective data on clinical
pharmacology and cost issues to prescribers. It differs significantly from
Click to edit Master title style
pharmaceutical company detailing because it draws from a broad research
base and material is presented by trained pharmacists or other professionals
without links to the pharmacy industry. Academic detailing has been shown
to improve prescribing
and reduce subtitle
costs while improving
Click todecisions
edit Master
style drug
therapy utilization.
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
11. I prefer to avoid all interactions with pharmaceutical representatives.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master title style
12. I don’t mind talking with pharmaceutical representatives.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
13. Pharmaceutical representatives can be a useful resource.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master title style
14. I get useful information from pharmaceutical representatives.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
15. Did completing this module help you to understand that pharmaceutical
representative visits are part of a highly structured marketing campaign with
the goal of increasing product sales?
A. Yes, definitely
B. Yes, probably
C. Probably not
D. Definitely not
E. Not sure
Click to edit Master title style
Click to edit Master subtitle style
16. Would you recommend this training module to a colleague?
A. Yes, definitely
B. Yes, probably
C. Probably not
D. Definitely not
E. Not sure
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE
Questions
17. Will you do anything differently in your practice as a result of this training
module?
A. Yes, definitely
B. Yes, probably
C. Probably not
D. Definitely not
E. Not sure
Click to edit Master title style
18. Please tell us about any changes you are considering or planning:
Click to edit Master subtitle style
UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEYERS PRIMARY CARE INSTITUTE