The impact of drug samples on clinical recommendations in dental education.
The distribution of branded drug samples in an educational setting may obscure the line between an evidence-based and a marketing-based education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of branded drug samples on clinical recommendations in a dental education setting. Survey respondents exposed (n=95) and unexposed (n=80) to a specific branded drug sample program containing non-patented ingredients responded to a brief questionnare on recommendations for dentinal hypersensitivity. The results showed that an exposure to the branded drug sample was associated with twelve-fold increased odds for recommending the brand name (95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 5.8-24.5; p<0.0001); 2.6-fold increased odds for recommending the therapeutic class to which the branded drug sample belonged (95 percent CI: 1.1-6.0; p=0.02); a 66 percent reduction in odds for considering other therapeutic classes (95 percent CI: 0.18-0.63; p=0.00015); and an 84 percent reduction in considering etiology (95 percent CI: 0.08-0.35; p<0.0001). We conclude that branded drug samples in a dental education setting were associated with increasing brand recommendation, narrowing therapeutic thinking, and decreased consideration for removing causes.
Department of Dental Public Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7475, USA. hujoel@u.washington.edu
Philippe P
PP
Hujoel
Jane
J
Gillette
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D057133:Dentin Desensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004345:Drug Industry; D004363:Drug Utilization; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D057133:Dentin Desensitizing Agents