ATTITUDE OF PHYSICIAN TOWARDS GIFT ACCEPTANCE FROM THE REPRESENTATIVES OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY AND ITS IMPACT ON PRESCRIPTION PATTERN IN MALAYSIA
Abstract
According to WHO, it was estimated that half of the drugs prescribed, dispensed and sold are done in an improper way. The physicians accept various types of gift from pharmaceutical companies. This can influence physicians’ prescribing pattern and result in early adoption to prescribe medications depending on promotional information. The effect of promotional activities especially gifts on the physicians' prescribing behavior was measured and the most effective promotional blend was identified. Promotional tools used by pharmaceutical companies were tested. The promotional tools which were more effective and influencing Malaysian physicians' counselling behavior were identified. The purpose of this study is to find the effect of gifts and promotion tools on the treatment pattern and the perception of health professionals regarding it in Malaysia. In this study, a clear impact of low cost and high cost gifts on the physician’s counselling behavior is found. It can also be concluded that physicians are not aware of the impact that industry’s marketing activities have on their behavior.
Keywords:
Physician Prescription Behavior, Gifts, Pharmaceutical Marketing, Promotional ToolsDownloads
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