The function of drug company representatives

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmaceutical Marketing
• Medical Economics

Background:

• The pharmaceutical industry significantly influences physician prescribing patterns through medical representatives.
• The role and impact of medical detailing on healthcare practices require critical evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess whether medical representatives' activities focus on information dissemination or sales.
• To determine the cost-effectiveness and necessity of drug detailing in Finland's health services.

Main Methods:

• Interviews with current and former pharmaceutical sales representatives.
• Interviews with healthcare institution contact persons.
• Analysis of job advertisements for medical representatives.

Main Results:

• Medical detailing is increasingly viewed by companies as a sales function rather than public relations.
• The supply of pharmaceutical sales representatives exceeds market demand.
• In 1975, drug companies allocated at least 5,000 Finnish Marks (plus 1,300) per physician annually for detailing activities.

Conclusions:

• Drug detailing by medical representatives is not essential for healthcare services.
• The practice of drug detailing provides no discernible benefit to the health sector.