Pharmaco-economic information and its effect on prescriptions

Reports on a small-scale study of 30 general practitioners and 30 specialists in Greece where pharmaco-economic information was presented to these prescribers and an attempt made to observe changes in reported choice of treatment consequent on this exposure. Concludes with a credible level of statistical significance, that information which also takes into account economic performance criteria is likely to influence the prescription decision of the practitioners. Suggests, from a commercial point of view, that this offers the opportunity to pharmaceutical companies to complement their offerings so that they can be better targeted to those prescribers most likely to be influenced by this information. Notes that, from a general societal point of view, the question needs to be raised about the extent to which the independence of the prescriber might be eroded through the presence or absence of such information and thus the best interests of the patient safeguarded.