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Mitchell AP, Trivedi NU, Gennarelli RL, Chimonas S, Tabatabai SM, Goldberg J, Diaz LA, Korenstein D. Are Financial Payments From the Pharmaceutical Industry Associated With Physician Prescribing? : A Systematic Review. Ann Intern Med 2021; 174:353-361. [PMID: 33226858 PMCID: PMC8315858 DOI: 10.7326/m20-5665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Financial payments from the drug industry to U.S. physicians are common. Payments may influence physicians' clinical decision making and drug prescribing. PURPOSE To evaluate whether receipt of payments from the drug industry is associated with physician prescribing practices. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EconLit were searched without language restrictions. The search had no limiting start date and concluded on 16 September 2020. STUDY SELECTION Studies that estimated the association between receipt of industry payments (exposure) and prescribing (outcome). DATA EXTRACTION Pairs of reviewers extracted the primary analysis or analyses from each study and evaluated risk of bias (ROB). DATA SYNTHESIS Thirty-six studies comprising 101 analyses were included. Most studies (n = 30) identified a positive association between payments and prescribing in all analyses; the remainder (n = 6) had a mix of positive and null findings. No study had only null findings. Of 101 individual analyses, 89 identified a positive association. Payments were associated with increased prescribing of the paying company's drug, increased prescribing costs, and increased prescribing of branded drugs. Nine studies assessed and found evidence of a temporal association; 25 assessed and found evidence of a dose-response relationship. LIMITATION The design was observational, 21 of 36 studies had serious ROB, and publication bias was possible. CONCLUSION The association between industry payments and physician prescribing was consistent across all studies that have evaluated this association. Findings regarding a temporal association and dose-response suggest a causal relationship. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE National Cancer Institute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron P. Mitchell
- Health Outcomes Research Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Niti U. Trivedi
- Health Outcomes Research Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Renee L. Gennarelli
- Health Outcomes Research Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Susan Chimonas
- Health Outcomes Research Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Sara M. Tabatabai
- Health Outcomes Research Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Johanna Goldberg
- Medical Library, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Luis A. Diaz
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Deborah Korenstein
- Health Outcomes Research Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
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Alkhaled L, Kahale L, Nass H, Brax H, Fadlallah R, Badr K, Akl EA. Legislative, educational, policy and other interventions targeting physicians' interaction with pharmaceutical companies: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2014; 4:e004880. [PMID: 24989618 PMCID: PMC4091460 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-004880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmaceutical company representatives likely influence the prescribing habits and professional behaviour of physicians. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to systematically review the effects of interventions targeting practising physicians' interactions with pharmaceutical companies. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA We included observational studies, non-randomised controlled trials (non-RCTs) and RCTs evaluating legislative, educational, policy or other interventions targeting the interactions between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. DATA SOURCES The search strategy included an electronic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE. Two reviewers performed duplicate and independent study selection, data abstraction and assessment of risk of bias. APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS We assessed the risk of bias in each included study. We summarised the findings narratively because the nature of the data did not allow a meta-analysis to be conducted. We assessed the quality of evidence by outcome using the GRADE methodology. RESULTS Of 11 189 identified citations, one RCT and three observational studies met the eligibility criteria. All four studies specifically targeted one type of interaction with pharmaceutical companies, that is, interactions with drug representatives. The RCT provided moderate quality evidence of no effect of a 'collaborative approach' between the pharmaceutical industry and a health authority. The three observational studies provided low quality evidence suggesting a positive effect of policies aiming to reduce interaction between physicians and pharmaceutical companies (by restricting free samples, promotional material, and meetings with pharmaceutical company representatives) on prescription behaviour. LIMITATIONS We identified too few studies to allow strong conclusions. CONCLUSIONS Available evidence suggests a potential impact of policies aiming to reduce interaction between physicians and drug representatives on physicians' prescription behaviour. We found no evidence concerning interventions affecting other types of interaction with pharmaceutical companies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Alkhaled
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Lara Kahale
- Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hala Nass
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Damascus, Damascus, Syria
| | - Hneine Brax
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Saint Joseph, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Racha Fadlallah
- Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Kamal Badr
- Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Elie A Akl
- Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Spurling GK, Mansfield PR, Montgomery BD, Lexchin J, Doust J, Othman N, Vitry AI. Information from pharmaceutical companies and the quality, quantity, and cost of physicians' prescribing: a systematic review. PLoS Med 2010; 7:e1000352. [PMID: 20976098 PMCID: PMC2957394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 09/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmaceutical companies spent $57.5 billion on pharmaceutical promotion in the United States in 2004. The industry claims that promotion provides scientific and educational information to physicians. While some evidence indicates that promotion may adversely influence prescribing, physicians hold a wide range of views about pharmaceutical promotion. The objective of this review is to examine the relationship between exposure to information from pharmaceutical companies and the quality, quantity, and cost of physicians' prescribing. METHODS AND FINDINGS We searched for studies of physicians with prescribing rights who were exposed to information from pharmaceutical companies (promotional or otherwise). Exposures included pharmaceutical sales representative visits, journal advertisements, attendance at pharmaceutical sponsored meetings, mailed information, prescribing software, and participation in sponsored clinical trials. The outcomes measured were quality, quantity, and cost of physicians' prescribing. We searched Medline (1966 to February 2008), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970 to February 2008), Embase (1997 to February 2008), Current Contents (2001 to 2008), and Central (The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2007) using the search terms developed with an expert librarian. Additionally, we reviewed reference lists and contacted experts and pharmaceutical companies for information. Randomized and observational studies evaluating information from pharmaceutical companies and measures of physicians' prescribing were independently appraised for methodological quality by two authors. Studies were excluded where insufficient study information precluded appraisal. The full text of 255 articles was retrieved from electronic databases (7,185 studies) and other sources (138 studies). Articles were then excluded because they did not fulfil inclusion criteria (179) or quality appraisal criteria (18), leaving 58 included studies with 87 distinct analyses. Data were extracted independently by two authors and a narrative synthesis performed following the MOOSE guidelines. Of the set of studies examining prescribing quality outcomes, five found associations between exposure to pharmaceutical company information and lower quality prescribing, four did not detect an association, and one found associations with lower and higher quality prescribing. 38 included studies found associations between exposure and higher frequency of prescribing and 13 did not detect an association. Five included studies found evidence for association with higher costs, four found no association, and one found an association with lower costs. The narrative synthesis finding of variable results was supported by a meta-analysis of studies of prescribing frequency that found significant heterogeneity. The observational nature of most included studies is the main limitation of this review. CONCLUSIONS With rare exceptions, studies of exposure to information provided directly by pharmaceutical companies have found associations with higher prescribing frequency, higher costs, or lower prescribing quality or have not found significant associations. We did not find evidence of net improvements in prescribing, but the available literature does not exclude the possibility that prescribing may sometimes be improved. Still, we recommend that practitioners follow the precautionary principle and thus avoid exposure to information from pharmaceutical companies. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
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Niquille A, Ruggli M, Buchmann M, Jordan D, Bugnon O. The nine-year sustained cost-containment impact of swiss pilot physicians-pharmacists quality circles. Ann Pharmacother 2010; 44:650-7. [PMID: 20215496 DOI: 10.1345/aph.1m537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Six pioneer physicians-pharmacists quality circles (PPQCs) located in the Swiss canton of Fribourg (administratively corresponding to a state in the US) were under the responsibility of 6 trained community pharmacists moderating the prescribing process of 24 general practitioners (GPs). PPQCs are based on a multifaceted collaborative process mediated by community pharmacists for improving compliance with clinical guidelines within GPs' prescribing practices. OBJECTIVE To assess, over a 9-year period (1999-2007), the cost-containment impact of the PPQCs. METHODS The key elements of PPQCs are a structured continuous quality improvement and education process; local networking; feedback of comparative and detailed data regarding costs, drug choice, and frequency of prescribed drugs; and structured independent literature review for interdisciplinary continuing education. The data are issued from the community pharmacy invoices to the health insurance companies. The study analyzed the cost-containment impact of the PPQCs in comparison with GPs working in similar conditions of care without particular collaboration with pharmacists, the percentage of generic prescriptions for specific cardiovascular drug classes, and the percentage of drug costs or units prescribed for specific cardiovascular drugs. RESULTS For the 9-year period, there was a 42% decrease in the drug costs in the PPQC group as compared to the control group, representing a $225,000 (USD) savings per GP only in 2007. These results are explained by better compliance with clinical and pharmacovigilance guidelines, larger distribution of generic drugs, a more balanced attitude toward marketing strategies, and interdisciplinary continuing education on the rational use of drugs. CONCLUSIONS The PPQC work process has yielded sustainable results, such as significant cost savings, higher penetration of generics and reflection on patient safety, and the place of "new" drugs in therapy. The PPQCs may also constitute a solid basis for implementing more comprehensive collaborative programs, such as medication reviews, adherence-enhancing interventions, or disease management approaches.
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Søndergaard J, Vach K, Kragstrup J, Andersen M. Impact of pharmaceutical representative visits on GPs' drug preferences. Fam Pract 2009; 26:204-9. [PMID: 19273463 DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmp010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmaceutical representative visits are believed to have substantial impact, but the effects on prescribing patterns have not been systematically evaluated. OBJECTIVE This study investigates how pharmaceutical sales representative visits influenced physicians' company-specific drug preferences and prevalence of steroid prescribing. METHODS Observational cohort study in Funen County, Denmark, including 165 general practices visited 832 times by pharmaceutical representatives and 54 080 patients treated with asthma drugs. Visits were conducted from 2001 to 2003. Our main outcome measures were (i) company-specific drug preferences measured as the proportion of dispensings of the promoted drug among all dispensings of fixed combinations of inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta2-agonists and (ii) the proportion of patients receiving repeated beta2-agonist dispensings who were treated with inhaled steroids. RESULTS The first visit had a statistically significant effect on the GPs' drug preference in favour of the marketed drug [odds ratio (OR), 2.39; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.72-3.32]. The effect on drug preference increased further after the second visit (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.19-1.93), while there was no significant change after the third visit (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.94-1.20). Pharmaceutical sales representative visits did not influence the overall treatment pattern with inhaled steroids (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.97-1.06). CONCLUSIONS Pharmaceutical sales representative visits markedly increased the market share of the promoted drug, but only the two first visits had significant impact. Visits had no significant impact on GPs' overall prescribing of inhaled steroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Søndergaard
- Research Unit for General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 9A, Odense C DK-5000, Denmark.
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O'Brien MA, Rogers S, Jamtvedt G, Oxman AD, Odgaard-Jensen J, Kristoffersen DT, Forsetlund L, Bainbridge D, Freemantle N, Davis DA, Haynes RB, Harvey EL. Educational outreach visits: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007; 2007:CD000409. [PMID: 17943742 PMCID: PMC7032679 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd000409.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 514] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Educational outreach visits (EOVs) have been identified as an intervention that may improve the practice of healthcare professionals. This type of face-to-face visit has been referred to as university-based educational detailing, academic detailing, and educational visiting. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of EOVs on health professional practice or patient outcomes. SEARCH STRATEGY For this update, we searched the Cochrane EPOC register to March 2007. In the original review, we searched multiple bibliographic databases including MEDLINE and CINAHL. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised trials of EOVs that reported an objective measure of professional performance or healthcare outcomes. An EOV was defined as a personal visit by a trained person to healthcare professionals in their own settings. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. We used bubble plots and box plots to visually inspect the data. We conducted both quantitative and qualitative analyses. We used meta-regression to examine potential sources of heterogeneity determined a priori. We hypothesised eight factors to explain variation across effect estimates. In our primary visual and statistical analyses, we included only studies with dichotomous outcomes, with baseline data and with low or moderate risk of bias, in which the intervention included an EOV and was compared to no intervention. MAIN RESULTS We included 69 studies involving more than 15,000 health professionals. Twenty-eight studies (34 comparisons) contributed to the calculation of the median and interquartile range for the main comparison. The median adjusted risk difference (RD) in compliance with desired practice was 5.6% (interquartile range 3.0% to 9.0%). The adjusted RDs were highly consistent for prescribing (median 4.8%, interquartile range 3.0% to 6.5% for 17 comparisons), but varied for other types of professional performance (median 6.0%, interquartile range 3.6% to 16.0% for 17 comparisons). Meta-regression was limited by the large number of potential explanatory factors (eight) with only 31 comparisons, and did not provide any compelling explanations for the observed variation in adjusted RDs. There were 18 comparisons with continuous outcomes, with a median adjusted relative improvement of 21% (interquartile range 11% to 41%). There were eight trials (12 comparisons) in which the intervention included an EOV and was compared to another type of intervention, usually audit and feedback. Interventions that included EOVs appeared to be slightly superior to audit and feedback. Only six studies evaluated different types of visits in head-to-head comparisons. When individual visits were compared to group visits (three trials), the results were mixed. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS EOVs alone or when combined with other interventions have effects on prescribing that are relatively consistent and small, but potentially important. Their effects on other types of professional performance vary from small to modest improvements, and it is not possible from this review to explain that variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A O'Brien
- Juravinski Cancer Centre, Supportive Cancer Care Research Unit, 699 Concession Street, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8V 5C2. maryann.o'
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van Driel ML, Vander Stichele R, De Maeseneer J, De Sutter A, Christiaens T. Medical evidence and health policy: a marriage of convenience? The case of proton pump inhibitors. J Eval Clin Pract 2007; 13:674-80. [PMID: 17683313 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2753.2007.00829.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE In Belgium, several policies regulating reimbursement of acid suppressant drugs and evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice were issued in a short period of time, creating a unique opportunity to observe their effect on prescribing. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To describe the evolution of prescriptions for acid suppressants and explore the interaction of policies and practice recommendations with prescribing patterns. METHOD Monthly claims-based data for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and H(2)-antihistamines by general practitioners, internists and gastroenterologists were obtained from the Belgian national health insurance database (1997-2005). The evolution of reimbursed defined daily doses and expenses after introduction of reimbursement regulations and dissemination of practice recommendations was explored. RESULTS Recommendations had no impact on prescribing. All changes can be related to concomitant policies. Lifting reimbursement restrictions for cheaper products did not control growth or save costs in the long term. Only restricting reimbursement of all PPIs managed to curb the growth. We observed an unintended increase of non-omeprazole PPIs by gastroenterologists. CONCLUSIONS Reimbursement policies influence prescribing, but their effect can be unintended. A dialogue between policymakers and guideline developers, and evidence-based policies that are linked to clinical guidelines, could be an effective way to pursue both cost-containment and quality of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieke L van Driel
- Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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Sebastian SS, Kernan N, Qasim A, O'Morain CA, Buckley M. Appropriateness of gastric antisecretory therapy in hospital practice. Ir J Med Sci 2004; 172:115-7. [PMID: 14700112 DOI: 10.1007/bf02914494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent data indicate an exponential increase in proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescribing, and concerns are raised regarding the appropriateness of these prescriptions and the financial implications. AIM To survey the appropriateness of PPI prescription in a cohort of patients in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS Prescription records of all inpatients on a randomly selected day were reviewed. The appropriateness of prescription and relevant investigations were identified by interview of patients, review of patient records and of a computerised endoscopy records system. RESULTS Thirty-two per cent (87 of 272) of all patients were on PPIs. A valid indication for therapy was not apparent in 63% of the patients on PPIs with the only predictive factor for inappropriate prescription being increasing age. Only 36 of the 87 patients on PPIs had undergone appropriate investigations for their gastrointestinal symptoms. Gender, age, speciality of admission or duration of hospital stay did not influence the appropriateness of prescription or performance of relevant investigations. CONCLUSION There appears to be a widespread and inappropriate use of PPIs in hospital practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Sebastian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Adelaide Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
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