Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
07:00
Failure of Cleaning Verification in Pharmaceutical Industry Due to Uncleanliness of Stainless Steel Surface
Published on: August 11, 2017
[Quality of pharma rep meetings in general practice]
Jörund Straand1, Inger Johanne Christensen
1Seksjon for allmennmedisin Allmennmedisinsk forskningsenhet Institutt for allmenn- og samfunnsmedisin Universitetet i Oslo Postboks 1130 Blindern 0318 Oslo. jorund.straand@medisin.uio.no
Summary
Pharmaceutical representatives (reps) often provide drug information to general practitioners (GPs). However, rep visits frequently omit crucial safety details, highlighting a need for unbiased medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pharmaceutical Marketing
- General Practice
Background:
- Pharmaceutical representatives (reps) are a common source of drug information for general practitioners (GPs).
- Assessing the quality and content of information provided during these visits is crucial for informed medical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the content of information provided by pharmaceutical reps during visits to Norwegian GPs.
- To evaluate the quality of drug information, particularly regarding safety, presented by reps.
Main Methods:
- Medical students in their fifth year at Oslo University School of Medicine completed questionnaires about their experiences with pharmaceutical rep visits.
- Data were collected from students during their general practice rotations in 2001 and 2002.
Main Results:
- 144 out of 241 (60%) students returned questionnaires detailing 144 pharmaceutical rep meetings.
- Visits commonly occurred during lunch, involved offering free drug samples and gifts.
- A significant majority of visits (4/5) lacked complete information on drug side effects, interactions, contraindications, or precautions.
- The educational benefit was rated poorly (mean score 4.2/10).
Conclusions:
- The study identified systematic omissions of critical safety information during pharmaceutical representative visits.
- There is a clear need for unbiased continuing medical education on drugs for general practice, independent of pharmaceutical industry influence.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:19Pharmacovigilance
Post-marketing surveillance is a critical component of pharmaceutical regulation, often uncovering unanticipated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) once a drug is widely used over an extended period.
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
01:19Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Excipients and Impurities-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence
Pharmaceutical products contain more than just the active drug; they also contain various excipients such as binders, solubilizers, stabilizers, preservatives, and other elements. In some cases, impurities or contaminants might be present. Traditionally, quality control in pharmaceuticals has primarily focused on the analysis of the active drug, often overlooking the impact of these additional components. The recent issue with heparin contamination by over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, a...
01:28Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics: Overview
Understanding drugs, drug products, and their performance in pharmaceutical science is pivotal. Drugs, whether simple molecules or complex compounds, are designed to interact with the body's biological systems to diagnose, treat, or prevent diseases. Drug products include various delivery systems such as tablets, capsules, injections, and inhalers. The performance of these drug products is gauged by their ability to deliver the active ingredient to the desired site of action at the appropriate...
01:26Drug Administration and Therapy Phases: Overview
Drugs, the chemical agents used in diagnosing, treating, or preventing diseases, undergo a four-phase process of development: pharmaceutic, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutic.
The pharmaceutical phase focuses on leveraging the physicochemical properties of the drug to design and manufacture an effective product. Variants include orally administered tablets or capsules, topical creams or ointments, and parenteral-delivery solutions or emulsions.
The pharmacokinetic phase...
The pharmaceutical phase focuses on leveraging the physicochemical properties of the drug to design and manufacture an effective product. Variants include orally administered tablets or capsules, topical creams or ointments, and parenteral-delivery solutions or emulsions.
The pharmacokinetic phase...
01:21Pharmacodynamics: Overview and Principles
Pharmacodynamics is a scientific field that delves into drugs' intricate biochemical, cellular, and physiological effects on the human body. The study of pharmacodynamics helps us understand how drugs interact with the body and elicit various responses.
Most drugs' effects result from their interactions with drug receptors or targets within the body. These interactions trigger specific responses at the cellular or systemic level. Drug receptors can be found on the surfaces of cells or within...
Most drugs' effects result from their interactions with drug receptors or targets within the body. These interactions trigger specific responses at the cellular or systemic level. Drug receptors can be found on the surfaces of cells or within...
01:10Pharmacokinetics: Overview
Pharmacokinetics is a scientific discipline that focuses on the journey of a drug within the body, encompassing four key stages: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. The first stage, absorption, involves the drug's transfer into the bloodstream. Several factors dictate the extent and speed of this process. For example, the liver often metabolizes oral drugs before they reach systemic circulation, leading to only partial absorption. In contrast, intravenous (IV) administration...