Attitudes and behaviors of psychiatry residents toward pharmaceutical representatives before and after an educational intervention.
OBJECTIVE
The authors sought to determine the effect of an educational seminar on interactions with pharmaceutical representatives on residents' attitudes and behavior.


METHODS
A controlled trial of an educational intervention was conducted. Residents at a university-affiliated residency program (N=32) were divided into two groups: one group (N=18) received a 1-hour educational intervention, while the other group (N=14) served as a control. Both groups completed a 33-item survey before the intervention and 2 months after the intervention.


RESULTS
Residents interacted substantially with pharmaceutical representatives. The majority of residents found the interactions and gifts useful and believed their prescribing practices were not influenced. Compared to the comparison group, the intervention group significantly decreased the reported number of office supplies and noneducational gifts, but showed no change in attitude toward pharmaceutical representatives and their gifts.


CONCLUSIONS
One-time educational interventions may have significant impact on psychiatric residents' targeted gift-accepting behavior but little effect on attitudes.
Randall
Melinda L
ML
Department of Psychiatry, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Ave, West Haven, CT 06516, USA. mrandallmd@hotmail.com
Rosenbaum
Julie R
JR
Rohrbaugh
Robert M
RM
Rosenheck
Robert A
RA
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004345:Drug Industry; D004493:Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce