Investigating the Perception of the Influence of Pharmaceutical Marketing on Pharmacists and Doctors Dispensing and Prescribing Practices.

Abstract

Pharmaceutical marketing via a wide range of promotional tools to doctors and pharmacists is one of the primary methods used by the pharmaceutical industry to drive product sales. Pharmaceutical representatives are the key personnel employed in promoting pharmaceutical products, and their interactions with doctors and pharmacists may present a conflict of interest which may result in irrational prescribing or dispensing with the attendant negative outcomes for patients. As such, an awareness of the influence pharmaceutical marketing may have on their prescribing or dispensing practice is essential to mitigate its negative impact on professional practice. Although several studies have investigated the perception of healthcare professionals on the influence pharmaceutical marketing has on their prescribing and dispensing behaviour, no study has evaluated this in healthcare professionals in South Africa. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of doctors and pharmacists in private sector practice in Gauteng province of South Africa on the influence of marketing by pharmaceutical representatives on their decisions when prescribing and dispensing medication to patients. The study involved a mixed methods approach, using a semi-structured questionnaire to elicit information on doctors and pharmacists’ perceptions on gifts offered by pharmaceutical representatives, and the influence of pharmaceutical marketing on their dispensing and prescribing practice. A sample consisting of 120 doctors and pharmacists practising in the private sector of Gauteng province and who interacted with pharmaceutical representatives as part of their practice were included in the study using convenience sampling. The responses to the questionnaire were collated using descriptive statistics, and data analysed to identify relationships between the respondent’s perceptions and specific prescribing and dispensing practices using SPSS statistical software. The Chi-squared test was used to test for the differences between groups, and the Spearman rho coefficient used to analyse associations between identified themes in the data in SPSS. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the University of Western Cape