The Branded Physician’S Office: Effects of Exposure to Small Pharmaceutical Promotional Items on Physician Treatment Preferences

The long-standing tradition of pharmaceutical companies providing gifts to physicians recently garnered national attention due to concerns over undue influence on prescribing decisions. These concerns prompted some medical communities to restrict access to physicians by salespersons. While attention has primarily focused on gifts of relatively high value reflecting a belief that influence is proportional to economic value, little is known about the influence of smaller, less valuable branded promotional items on physicians’ clinical preferences. The goals of the current study were twofold: first to explore any potential influence these smaller branded marketing trinkets might have on physician decisions, and second, to assess whether in-place educational programs have any effect on attitudes toward the promoted brands.

Citation:

David Grande, Dominick Frost, Andrew Perkins, and Barbara Kahn (2009) ,"The Branded Physician’S Office: Effects of Exposure to Small Pharmaceutical Promotional Items on Physician Treatment Preferences", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 165-167.