Result Summary for Survey:Pharmaceutical & Medical-Device Company Marketing to Physicians

What Doctors Think

Survey Results

Pharmaceutical & Medical-Device Company Marketing to Physicians

1. What is your main specialty and/or subspecialty?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Allergy - Immunology		2.5%	5
Emergency Medicine		10.0%	20
Endocrinology		9.5%	19
Gastroenterology		12.5%	25
Genetics		1.5%	3
Geriatrics		1.5%	3
Hematology		3.5%	7
Infectious Disease		3.0%	6
Internal Medicine		23.5%	47
Nephrology		4.0%	8
Neurology		10.5%	21
Oncology		11.0%	22
Pain Medicine		4.5%	9
Pulmonary		5.5%	11
Rheumatology		5.0%	10
Other (please specify)			37
	answered question		200
	skipped question		31

2. Should pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers advertise their products to physicians?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		84.7%	194
No		10.5%	24
Other (please specify)		4.8%	11
	answered question		229
	skipped question		2

3. Does advertising to doctors by medical companies unnecessarily drive up health care costs?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		51.0%	107
No		49.0%	103
Other (please specify)			25
	answered question		210
	skipped question		21

4. What is your preferred method of receiving information about pharmaceuticals and medical devices? (Check as many choices as you like).
		Response Percent	Response Count
Medical journals (peer reviewed)		90.0%	206
Medical magazines (not peer reviewed)		14.0%	32
Ads in journals and magazines		15.7%	36
Literature by US mail		19.7%	45
Literature by FAX		2.2%	5
Sales rep visits		38.9%	89
Email with web site links		26.2%	60
Phone calls		1.7%	4
Conventions		53.3%	122
Meals with sales reps		18.3%	42
Other (please specify)			8
	answered question		229
	skipped question		2

5. Does your office staff triage your US MAIL and FAXES, and discard some advertising and promotional materials before you see them?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		34.1%	75
No		65.9%	145
Other (please specify)			10
	answered question		220
	skipped question		11

6. Does your office staff triage your EMAIL and delete some advertising or promotional email before you see it?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		12.6%	28
No		87.4%	194
Other (please specify)			8
	answered question		222
	skipped question		9

7. Several major USA medical centers/hospitals have banned sales reps from their premises, and do not allow physician employees to receive any type of gifts from reps including pens, pads, lunches, and other inexpensive items. Do you agree with this policy?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		40.5%	89
No		59.5%	131
Other (please specify)			9
	answered question		220
	skipped question		11

8. Some pharmaceutical companies and medical device firms treat physicians to expensive dinners to discuss medical topics and try to persuade physicians to use their products. Should this type of marketing be permitted?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		42.9%	94
No		57.1%	125
Other (please specify)			21
	answered question		219
	skipped question		12

9. Are physicians improperly influenced or coerced by accepting pens, pads, and other similar inexpensive office supplies from medical companies?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		21.8%	50
No		71.6%	164
Other (please specify)		6.6%	15
	answered question		229
	skipped question		2

10. Are physicians improperly influenced or coerced by free meals for their office staff and dinners for themselves?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		34.3%	79
No		57.0%	131
Other (please specify)		8.7%	20
	answered question		230
	skipped question		1

11. Is it proper for doctors to receive medical company remuneration for giving a lecture to other physicians regarding a specific pharmaceutical or medical device?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		59.1%	136
No		27.8%	64
Other (please specify)		13.0%	30
	answered question		230
	skipped question		1

12. Did you know that pharmacies sell your prescribing data to companies that compile this information for pharmaceutical firms, and sales reps who visit your office know exactly what and how much your prescribing.
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		70.4%	157
No		29.6%	66
Other (please specify)			8
	answered question		223
	skipped question		8

13. Did you know that via the AMA you can remove yourself from the national database of physician prescribers so that sales reps will no longer know what you prescribe?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		27.9%	63
No		72.1%	163
Other (please specify)			3
	answered question		226
	skipped question		5

14. Some states are trying to pass laws that would prohibit pharmaceutical companies from having access to your prescribing data. Are you for or against such a law?
		Response Percent	Response Count
For		82.6%	176
Against		17.4%	37
Other (please specify)			15
	answered question		213
	skipped question		18

15. Some states are trying to pass laws that would prohibit any kind of payments or gifts from medical companies to physicians. Are you for or against such a law?
		Response Percent	Response Count
For		40.8%	86
Against		59.2%	125
Other (please specify)			22
	answered question		211
	skipped question		20

16. Some states are trying to pass laws that would require medical companies to publicly report all gifts to physicians. Are you for or against such a law?
		Response Percent	Response Count
For		54.8%	126
Against		38.7%	89
Other (please specify)		7.8%	18
	answered question		230
	skipped question		1

17. Which medical company marketing method is least intrusive on your medical practice and time? (Pick one choice only).
		Response Percent	Response Count
US mail		39.0%	83
Fax		0.9%	2
Sales rep detailing in office/hospital		5.6%	12
Email with web site links		43.7%	93
Phone		1.4%	3
Meals with sales reps		9.4%	20
Other (please specify)			17
	answered question		213
	skipped question		18

18. There is increasing attention to global warming in recent years. Which do you think is the most GREEN marketing method that can be used by medical companies? Please pick one choice.
		Response Percent	Response Count
Medical journals and magazines		10.3%	22
US mail		1.4%	3
Faxes		0.9%	2
Sales reps		6.1%	13
Email with web site links		73.4%	157
Phone		0.9%	2
Medical conventions		7.0%	15
Other (please specify)			16
	answered question		214
	skipped question		17

19. What is your preferred method for reading peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed physician articles?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Medical journals and magazines delivered by US mail		70.0%	154
Faxes		0.5%	1
Email with web site links to articles		28.6%	63
Articles brought to your office by sales reps		0.9%	2
Other (please specify)			10
	answered question		220
	skipped question		11

20. Do you accept samples from pharmaceutical company reps?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		72.4%	160
No		27.6%	61
Other (please specify)			10
	answered question		221
	skipped question		10

21. Do you think samples drive up the cost of health care, or reduce health care costs because you can give samples to patients who cant afford medications?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Samples drive up health care costs		42.2%	81
Samples reduce health care costs		57.8%	111
Other (please specify)			38
	answered question		192
	skipped question		39

22. If you accept samples, what would be the preferred way for you to receive samples?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Unscheduled visits from sales reps in my office		11.7%	23
Scheduled visits from sales reps in my office		45.9%	90
Order by phone		2.6%	5
Order by FAX		2.6%	5
Order by email and web		33.7%	66
Pick up samples at medical meetings and conventions		3.6%	7
Other (please specify)			9
	answered question		196
	skipped question		35

23. Medical companies spend $4 billion annually on (DTC) direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Are you influenced by patients who ask for prescriptions for products they have seen advertised on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		35.7%	74
No		64.3%	133
Other (please specify)			26
	answered question		207
	skipped question		24

24. What is the greatest wasteful contributor to increased health care costs?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Don't know		100.0%	75
Other (please specify)			152
	answered question		75
	skipped question		156

25. In your leisure time, which mediums do you prefer for researching various medical topics?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Medical journals and magazines		45.5%	101
Email with colleagues		4.5%	10
The Internet		50.0%	111
Other (please specify)			9
	answered question		222
	skipped question		9

26. What is the most effective way for a medical company to announce a new FDA approval of a prescription drug or medical device? Click as many choices as you prefer.
		Response Percent	Response Count
Sales rep visit		37.4%	82
Ad in medical journal or magazine		37.4%	82
Fax		3.2%	7
Phone call		0.9%	2
Email with link to web site		57.5%	126
US mail		21.5%	47
Medical convention		40.6%	89
Other (please specify)			8
	answered question		219
	skipped question		12

27. What is the most effective way for a medical company to announce a product recall, change in prescribing information or a black box warning for a pharmaceutical product or medical device?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Sales rep visit		18.6%	42
Ad in medical journal or magazine		7.1%	16
Fax		4.9%	11
Phone call		3.1%	7
Email with link to web site		40.7%	92
US mail		25.7%	58
Other (please specify)			9
	answered question		226
	skipped question		5

28. If pharmaceutical and medical device companies sent you email messages with links to their web sites that contain product information and marketing materials, would you visit those web sites?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		66.5%	123
No		33.5%	62
Other (please specify)			46
	answered question		185
	skipped question		46

29. In your opinion what form of medical company marketing would LEAST escalate national health care costs? Please check one only.
		Response Percent	Response Count
Ads in medical journals and magazines		13.1%	28
Literature by US mail		4.2%	9
Literature by FAX		0.0%	0
Sales reps		5.1%	11
Email information with links to web sites		64.5%	138
Phone Information		0.0%	0
Information at medical conventions		8.9%	19
Meals with sales reps		4.2%	9
Other (please specify)			13
	answered question		214
	skipped question		17

30. Do you think that pharmaceutical and medical device companies are utilizing email and the Internet effectively for improving their communications with physicians?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		30.0%	63
No		70.0%	147
Other (please specify)			20
	answered question		210
	skipped question		21

31. If you could influence medical industry companies, what advice would you offer them regarding marketing to doctors?
		Response Percent	Response Count
No advice		100.0%	103
Other (please specify)			122
	answered question		103
	skipped question		128

32. Can you name a pharmaceutical or medical device company that uses email and the web for effective communications with you?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes (enter company name in field below)		25.9%	56
No		74.1%	160
Company name(s):			58
	answered question		216
	skipped question		15

33. Do you like to participate in thought provoking online health care related surveys geared to physicians?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		73.6%	156
No		26.4%	56
Other (please specify)			11
	answered question		212
	skipped question		19

34. Do you want to participate in other WhatDoctorsThink.com surveys in the future?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		81.7%	174
No		18.3%	39
Other (please specify)			20
	answered question		213
	skipped question		18