Authors' Response to Gowdy
Author Information
Author(s): Atle Fretheim, Andrew D. Oxman
Primary Institution: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for Health Services
Conclusion
The authors argue that the effectiveness of pharmaceutical marketing strategies is questionable and that their own intervention achieved significant results with much lower spending.
Supporting Evidence
- The authors received no specific funding for this article.
- The marketing effort made by the pharmaceutical industry is massive and includes a wide range of interventions.
- The authors had informal discussions with pharmaceutical executives who questioned the effectiveness of their marketing strategies.
Takeaway
The authors think that pharmaceutical companies spend a lot on marketing, but they aren't sure it really helps doctors prescribe better. Their own program cost less and worked well.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of bias in the marketing claims made by pharmaceutical companies.
Limitations
The comparison of prescribing changes was between practices that chose to participate and those that did not, which may not be a fair comparison.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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