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Pharmaceutical sales reps: no thank you!

The more visits French doctors receive from sales reps, the more likely they are to prescribe antibiotics for acute rhinopharyngitis.

Most acute rhinopharyngitis is of viral origin and should not be treated with antibiotics, which are recommended only if there are bacterial complications. But in France, 50% of acute rhinopharyngitis cases result in the prescription of antibiotics.

IRDES (France's Research institute on the economics of the health industry) studied the prescription of antibiotics for acute rhinopharyngitis, analysing more than 250,000 consultations carried out by nearly 800 doctors.

One factor studied was differences in prescription behaviour according to different types of practitioner. Significantly, IRDES observed that doctors who stated they received fewer than 10 visits per month from medical representatives prescribed fewer antibiotics than the others. Doctors who took continuing education courses were less inclined to prescribe antibiotics for acute rhinopharyngitis.

The sales rep's priority is obviously to boost sales rather than to provide training in quality patient care. Healthcare professionals should sign up for independent continuing education, and say "no thank you" to the influence of pharmaceutical companies.

©Prescrire May 2005

Source: "Prescriptions sous influence" Rev Prescrire 2005 ; 25 (261) : 579.

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