Medical centers are increasingly seeking ways to limit the impact of pharmaceutical and device manufacturers' gifts on physicians' prescription methods, according to a report by WESA.
Here are five things to know:
1. When hospitals employ the policies:
- Marketed drugs are prescribed 8.7 percent less often
- Non-marketed drugs are prescribed roughly 6 percent more often
2. Expensive, name brand drugs are marketed in-person more often than less expensive, generic alternatives.
3. In-person marketing has become known as "detailing."
4. Medical practices are increasingly rejecting gifts from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers due to concerns of conflict of interest.
5. Detailing policies may also restrict physicians from holding "consulting" positions with industry companies unless the role includes significant duties.
The study's results suggest gifts of all sizes impact physician prescribing behavior but the leading researchers emphasized no definitive causal relationship exists between detailing policies and a physician's prescribing track record.
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