Physicians and the pharmaceutical industry: impact on prescription attitudes and habits

INTRODUCTION The physician-pharmaceutical industry relationship has been identified as an ethical problem, due to conflicts of interest motivated by the benefits that doctors receive and that can affect their clinical judgment. OBJECTIVE To identify the frequency of physicians participation in activities financed by the pharmaceutical industry (PI), their attitudes towards PI representatives (PIRs), their prescriptive behavior and the association between their characteristics and their workplace with their participation in activities financed by the PI. METHOD Cross-sectional survey to internists and cardiologists. The questionnaire included characteristics of the doctors and their workplace, participation in activities financed by the PI, attitudes towards PIRs, and prescription behavior. RESULTS 455 questionnaires were analyzed; 78.5 % of surveyed subjects were aware of the physician-PI relationship, the majority acknowledged meeting with PIRs, 30 % indicated having received financial subsidies and 10 % considered that gifts affect their prescription. Having prior knowledge of the physician-PI relationship was associated with less participation in PI-financed educational activities. CONCLUSION Practices and preferences towards the PI show the need to design strategies to avoid inappropriate prescription. INTRODUCCION La relacion medico-industria farmaceutica (IF) se ha identificado como un problema etico por favorecer conflictos de interes derivados de los beneficios que reciben los medicos y que pueden afectar su juicio clinico. OBJETIVO Identificar la frecuencia de participacion de medicos en actividades financiadas por la IF, las actitudes de estos profesionales hacia los representantes de la IF, su conducta prescriptiva y la asociacion de sus caracteristicas y del trabajo con la participacion en actividades financiadas por la IF. METODO Encuesta transversal a medicos internistas y cardiologos. El cuestionario incluyo caracteristicas de los medicos y centro de trabajo, participacion en actividades financiadas por la IF, actitudes hacia los representantes y conducta de prescripcion. RESULTADOS Se analizaron 455 cuestionarios, 78.5 % de los encuestados tuvo conocimiento de la relacion medico-IF, la mayoria respondio reunirse con representantes de la IF, 30 % indico haber recibido subsidios financieros y 10 % considero que los obsequios afectan su prescripcion. Tener conocimiento previo de la relacion medico-IF se asocio con menor participacion en actividades educativas financiadas por por la IF. CONCLUSION Las practicas y preferencias hacia la IF muestran la necesidad de disenar estrategias para evitar la prescripcion inapropiada.