Reconciling a “pleasant exchange” with evidence of information bias: A three-country study on pharmaceutical sales visits in primary care

Physicians need timely access to balanced, accurate and evidence-based drug information to inform prescribing decisions [1]. In a survey of physicians in the United States (US) in 2006 –07, most (76%) agreed that sales representatives are a valuable source of information, especially on new drugs [2]. Information provided by sales representatives is often selective, with inadequate mention of possible harm [1,3,4]. This situation may lead to suboptimal prescribing with potential negative consequences for patient health.

Source: Health Policy - February 2, 2018 Category: Health Management Authors: Ellen Reynolds, Line Gu énette, Joel Lexchin, Alan Cassels, Michael S. Wilkes, Geneviève Durrieu, Marie-Dominique Beaulieu, Barbara Mintzes Source Type: research