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Drug Information Sources: Reported Preferences By General Practitioners

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Abstract

Objective

: To estimate general practitioners’ (GPs) self-reported exposure, use, andvalue assessments of different drug information sources, and explore strategies for information seeking in regard to newly approved drugs.

Participants and methods

A self-administered questionnaire was sent to GPs (n = 291) in an urban area of Sweden covering approximately 10% of the Swedish population.

Results

Response rate was 69% (202). More verbal noncommercial information was requested by 61% of the respondents. Two out of the three sources rated as most valuable were noncommercial. Commercial written information was received weekly by 67%. Regarding awareness of new drugs, the top sources were direct mail advertisements and written information from the regulatory authority. Differences in how quickly the GPs would consider prescribing a new drug were reported depending on the drug class. For example, 64% of GPs reported that they would try a new low-sedating antihistamine rather quickly, while only 6% said so regarding a new H2-blocker.

Conclusion

Noncommercial drug information sources have high credibility. GPs would like more verbal noncommercial drug information. Individualized information strategies tailor-made for different drug categories appear to be important.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of International Health Care Research (IHCAR), Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg MSc Pharm

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Soder Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lars-Olof Hensjö MD

  3. Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Technology, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet at Huddinge University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden

    Lars L. Gustafsson MD (Associate Professor)

Authors
  1. Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg MSc Pharm
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  2. Lars-Olof Hensjö MD
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  3. Lars L. Gustafsson MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg MSc Pharm.

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Lundborg, C.S., Hensjö, LO. & Gustafsson, L.L. Drug Information Sources: Reported Preferences By General Practitioners. Ther Innov Regul Sci 32, 777–785 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1177/009286159803200318

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