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Q&A On Biopharmaceutical Company Interactions with Healthcare Professionals
Why do biopharmaceutical research company sales representatives interact with healthcare professionals?
One responsibility of biopharmaceutical research companies is to provide information about their medicines to healthcare professionals. Without interaction with company representatives, some healthcare professionals would find it more difficult to obtain up-to-date, accurate information available regarding prescription medicines.
This communication enables biopharmaceutical research companies to inform healthcare professionals about the benefits and risks of their products, provide scientific and educational information about their use, and obtain information and advice about their medicines through consultation with medical experts.
The FDA-regulated, scientifically based information conveyed by company representatives to healthcare professionals helps disseminate facts about medicines. Providing physicians with up-to-date information about pharmaceutical products supports appropriate care decisions and can lead to better health outcomes.
In the KRC survey, eight out of 10 physicians said that biopharmaceutical companies and their representatives are a useful source of information about prescription medicines. Further, physicians found the information provided to be up-to-date (94 percent), useful (92 percent) and reliable (84 percent).
Why are company representatives needed to disseminate this information?
Bringing information about new treatments to the various points where care is provided in the healthcare system often is challenging and requires significant effort. Research shows that even many years after new types of medicines are introduced, patients who should be using them according to clinical practice guidelines often go untreated. In fact, these treatment gaps are often viewed as serious public health problems that lead to poor patient outcomes and high health costs – both human and economic – that could have been avoided.
Given the demands of clinical practice and the evolution of science and regulation, it can be challenging for physicians to stay up-to-date with information such as clinical trial data, new uses of medicines, side effects, and emerging risks. In fact, in the KRC survey, four out of 10 physicians said it is at least somewhat difficult to stay informed about medications or therapies. Pharmaceutical representatives provide physicians and other healthcare professionals with information about benefits and risks of medication, including new studies and clinical data, new dosing information, and any updates on safety and risk information. Timely access to this information helps support effective patient care.
Doesn’t biopharmaceutical company marketing place undo pressure on healthcare providers to prescribe certain medicines?
Interactions between company representatives and physicians play a critical role in improving patient care and fostering the appropriate use of medicines. Providing physicians with up-to-date information about new treatment options and the risks and benefits of medicines clearly benefits patients and advances healthcare throughout the U.S.
While reliable access to such information is essential for healthcare providers, it is only one factor among many in the healthcare system that determine how physicians ultimately prescribe.
According to the KRC survey, physicians consider a wide variety of sources of information when prescribing, including: their own clinical knowledge and experience (97 percent); a patient’s response to a particular medicine (97 percent); a patient’s individual situation, such as drug interactions, side effects, and contraindications (96 percent); information from colleagues and peers (89 percent); insurance coverage and formulary (81 percent); insurance prior authorization requirements (80 percent); and a patient’s insurance co-pay amount (72 percent). Information from company representatives and company-sponsored peer education programs trail at 69 percent and 64 percent, respectively.
Indeed, the KRC survey findings also reflect the high generic use rate in the U.S., where nearly 80 percent of prescriptions written are for a generic medicine. The survey found that 40 percent of respondents tend to prescribe a 50/50 mix of brand and generic medicines and 35 percent usually prescribe a generic. An additional 17 percent said that they decide on a case-by-case basis.
How are company interactions with physicians regulated?
Federal law strictly regulates promotional activities by biopharmaceutical companies. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, promotional materials must present accurate information and fairly represent both the benefits and the risks of the drugs promoted. Pharmaceutical representatives are also held to strict state and federal regulations that govern their interactions with health care professionals.
In addition, PhRMA’s revised Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, went into effect in 2009 and reflects the continued commitment of PhRMA and its member companies (as well as many non-PhRMA members) to pursue policies and practices that best serve the needs of patients and the healthcare community.
The Code, which has garnered more than 50 signatory companies, reaffirms that interactions between company representatives and healthcare professionals should be ethical and informative and reinforces companies’ commitment to ensuring that all such interactions with healthcare professionals are focused on providing benefit to patients and advancing health education.
Why do biopharmaceutical companies sponsor peer education programs for healthcare professionals?
Doctors and other healthcare professionals with real-world clinical experience in specific therapeutic areas are uniquely qualified to educate and inform their peers about the medicines they prescribe. While physicians consult many sources for information, it is important for them to stay up-to-date with the current information in order to make the best treatment options possible.
Interactions between physicians, including those participating in peer education programs, benefit patient care by facilitating the exchange of the latest FDA-regulated information. This information exchange goes both ways: at the same time that they are able to learn from others, physicians provide pharmaceutical companies with valuable feedback on how medicines are working for patients.
According to the KRC Research survey, 76 percent of respondents have attended peer education programs; that number jumped to 86 percent among rural physicians. Those who attended reported gaining a range of information, including: improved clinical knowledge (98 percent), potential side effects of medicines (97 percent), new uses of medicines (97 percent), the range of treatment options (97 percent), and emerging drug risks (95 percent). Importantly, 94 percent said the programs strengthened their ability to care for patients.
For more information about peer education programs, please review this detailed document.
