The influence of pharmaceutical marketing activity, practice characteristics and physician profile on physician prescribing behaviour.
Date
2006
Authors
Groves, Kent E. M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Dalhousie University
Abstract
Description
The annual retail growth of prescription drugs continued in 2004 at a rate of 5.6% in volume and 8.9% in value. While it was the smallest increase since 1998(8), expenditures on prescriptions are now well past those for all services provided by physicians. The prescription drug category thus represents a significant expense, and one which is of concern to policy makers and health departments across the country.
While it is acknowledged as a significant and growing expense, management of this category presents significant political, organizational, ethical, logistical and budgetary challenges. One of the greatest hurdles is associated with the continuing medical education of physicians themselves, and keeping them up to date on drug related issues, options and considerations. To do this, one approach for government is to dedicate scarce resources to "academic detailers"; trained health professionals who attempt to update, educate physicians, given their knowledge on the risks and benefits of many of the drugs that exist on a given jurisdiction's formulary.
The analysis of a sample of 925 physicians in Nova Scotia (while considering advertising expenditures by drug category, physician demographics and prescribing behaviours) accommodated the development of insight into the profiles of the prescribing population, and the influence of marketing expenditures on prescribing. Using prescribing activity of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (COX-2s) from their period of introduction in the province (mid 1999) to December 31, 2003, the profiles of volume COX-2 prescribers (profiles based on the absolute number of prescriptions written over a given period) and relative COX-2 prescribers (prescribing of COX-2s relative to COX-2s and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatories(NS-NSAIDs)) were established. Additionally, this research established the parameters of a new model of "compressed adoption" which addresses the rapid uptake and almost immediate maturity in demand of a new category of drugs.
Journal advertising and pharmaceutical industry detailing were not correlated with increases in COX-2 prescribing, or prescribing in existing drug categories. Among physicians, individuals whose COX-2 prescribing volumes were in the upper or first quartile of the population of physicians during this period were more likely to be older than the median age of 49, male, active prescribers of drugs in other key categories, with rural practices. Conversely, individuals whose prescribing volumes of COX-2s relative to total COX-2/NSAID prescribing volumes in the upper or first quartile were more likely to be younger, female, with low levels of prescribing in other drug categories, practicing in an urban environment.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dalhousie University (Canada), 2006.
While it is acknowledged as a significant and growing expense, management of this category presents significant political, organizational, ethical, logistical and budgetary challenges. One of the greatest hurdles is associated with the continuing medical education of physicians themselves, and keeping them up to date on drug related issues, options and considerations. To do this, one approach for government is to dedicate scarce resources to "academic detailers"; trained health professionals who attempt to update, educate physicians, given their knowledge on the risks and benefits of many of the drugs that exist on a given jurisdiction's formulary.
The analysis of a sample of 925 physicians in Nova Scotia (while considering advertising expenditures by drug category, physician demographics and prescribing behaviours) accommodated the development of insight into the profiles of the prescribing population, and the influence of marketing expenditures on prescribing. Using prescribing activity of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (COX-2s) from their period of introduction in the province (mid 1999) to December 31, 2003, the profiles of volume COX-2 prescribers (profiles based on the absolute number of prescriptions written over a given period) and relative COX-2 prescribers (prescribing of COX-2s relative to COX-2s and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatories(NS-NSAIDs)) were established. Additionally, this research established the parameters of a new model of "compressed adoption" which addresses the rapid uptake and almost immediate maturity in demand of a new category of drugs.
Journal advertising and pharmaceutical industry detailing were not correlated with increases in COX-2 prescribing, or prescribing in existing drug categories. Among physicians, individuals whose COX-2 prescribing volumes were in the upper or first quartile of the population of physicians during this period were more likely to be older than the median age of 49, male, active prescribers of drugs in other key categories, with rural practices. Conversely, individuals whose prescribing volumes of COX-2s relative to total COX-2/NSAID prescribing volumes in the upper or first quartile were more likely to be younger, female, with low levels of prescribing in other drug categories, practicing in an urban environment.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dalhousie University (Canada), 2006.
Keywords
Health Sciences, Pharmacy.