Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia

Background: Pharmaceutical representatives provide medicines information on their promoted products to doctors. However, studies have shown that the quality of this information is often low. No study has assessed the medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors i...

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Main Authors:	Othman, Noordin, Vitry, Agnes I., Roughead, Elizabeth E, Ismail, Shaiful B, Omar, Khairani
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	BioMed Central 2010
Subjects:	R Medicine (General)
Online Access:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/1/Rep_Med_info_Noordin_Othman_12_10.pdf

id	iium-404
recordtype	eprints
spelling	iium-4042012-02-14T03:08:38Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/ Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia Othman, Noordin Vitry, Agnes I. Roughead, Elizabeth E Ismail, Shaiful B Omar, Khairani R Medicine (General) Background: Pharmaceutical representatives provide medicines information on their promoted products to doctors. However, studies have shown that the quality of this information is often low. No study has assessed the medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Malaysia and no recent evidence in Australia is present. We aimed to compare the provision of medicines information by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Australia and Malaysia. Methods: Following a pharmaceutical representative’s visit, general practitioners in Australia and Malaysia who had agreed to participate, were asked to fill out a questionnaire on the main product and claims discussed during the encounter. The questionnaire focused on provision of product information including indications, adverse effects,precautions, contraindications and the provision of information on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) listings and restrictions (in Australia only). Descriptive statistics were produced. Chi-square analysis and clustered linear regression were used to assess differences in Australia and Malaysia. Results: Significantly more approved product information sheets were provided in Malaysia (78%) than in Australia(53%) (P < 0.001). In both countries, general practitioners reported that indications (Australia, 90%, Malaysia, 93%) and dosages (Australia, 76%, Malaysia, 82%) were frequently provided by pharmaceutical representatives. Contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects were often omitted in the presentations (range 25% - 41%). General practitioners in Australia and Malaysia indicated that in more than 90% of presentations, pharmaceutical representatives partly or fully answered their questions on contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects. More general practitioners in Malaysia (85%) than in Australia (60%) reported that pharmaceutical representatives should have mentioned contraindications, precautions for use, drug interaction or adverse effects spontaneously (P < 0.001). In 48% of the Australian presentations, general practitioners reported the pharmaceutical representatives failed to mention information on PBS listings to general practitioners. Conclusions: Information on indications and dosages were usually provided by pharmaceutical representatives in Australia and Malaysia. However, risk and harmful effects of medicines were often missing in their presentations. Effective control of medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives is needed. BioMed Central 2010 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/1/Rep_Med_info_Noordin_Othman_12_10.pdf Othman, Noordin and Vitry, Agnes I. and Roughead, Elizabeth E and Ismail, Shaiful B and Omar, Khairani (2010) Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia. BMC Public Health, 10 (1). 743 (1-11). ISSN 1471-2458 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-743 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-743
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	International Islamic University Malaysia
building	IIUM Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
topic	R Medicine (General)
spellingShingle	R Medicine (General) Othman, Noordin Vitry, Agnes I. Roughead, Elizabeth E Ismail, Shaiful B Omar, Khairani Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia
description	Background: Pharmaceutical representatives provide medicines information on their promoted products to doctors. However, studies have shown that the quality of this information is often low. No study has assessed the medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Malaysia and no recent evidence in Australia is present. We aimed to compare the provision of medicines information by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Australia and Malaysia. Methods: Following a pharmaceutical representative’s visit, general practitioners in Australia and Malaysia who had agreed to participate, were asked to fill out a questionnaire on the main product and claims discussed during the encounter. The questionnaire focused on provision of product information including indications, adverse effects,precautions, contraindications and the provision of information on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) listings and restrictions (in Australia only). Descriptive statistics were produced. Chi-square analysis and clustered linear regression were used to assess differences in Australia and Malaysia. Results: Significantly more approved product information sheets were provided in Malaysia (78%) than in Australia(53%) (P < 0.001). In both countries, general practitioners reported that indications (Australia, 90%, Malaysia, 93%) and dosages (Australia, 76%, Malaysia, 82%) were frequently provided by pharmaceutical representatives. Contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects were often omitted in the presentations (range 25% - 41%). General practitioners in Australia and Malaysia indicated that in more than 90% of presentations, pharmaceutical representatives partly or fully answered their questions on contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects. More general practitioners in Malaysia (85%) than in Australia (60%) reported that pharmaceutical representatives should have mentioned contraindications, precautions for use, drug interaction or adverse effects spontaneously (P < 0.001). In 48% of the Australian presentations, general practitioners reported the pharmaceutical representatives failed to mention information on PBS listings to general practitioners. Conclusions: Information on indications and dosages were usually provided by pharmaceutical representatives in Australia and Malaysia. However, risk and harmful effects of medicines were often missing in their presentations. Effective control of medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives is needed.
format	Article
author	Othman, Noordin Vitry, Agnes I. Roughead, Elizabeth E Ismail, Shaiful B Omar, Khairani
author_facet	Othman, Noordin Vitry, Agnes I. Roughead, Elizabeth E Ismail, Shaiful B Omar, Khairani
author_sort	Othman, Noordin
title	Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia
title_short	Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia
title_full	Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia
title_fullStr	Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed	Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia
title_sort	medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in australia and malaysia
publisher	BioMed Central
publishDate	2010
url	http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/404/1/Rep_Med_info_Noordin_Othman_12_10.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T20:07:31Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T20:07:31Z
_version_	1777407257749749760

Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia

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