title: The assessment of pharmaceutical sales representatives by family physicians--does it affect the prescribing index?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physicians' prescribing patterns depend on fixed and influence-sensitive factors. The latter include the influence of interactions with the pharmaceutical industry.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the assessment of pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs) by family physicians was associated with their actual prescribing index.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional anonymous postal study. We included all family physicians working in practice settings in Slovenia in 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Slovenian family physicians' surgeries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prescribing index of Slovenian family physicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We received 247 responses (27.6% response rate). A prescribing index >100% was present in 57 (23.1%) of the respondents. Multivariate analysis revealed that working in regions of Slovenia other than the central region might be associated with a prescribing index >100%. Assessment of PSRs by family physicians was not significantly associated with a prescribing index >100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment of PSRs by family physicians does not have any substantial correlations with their prescribing index.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Ljubljana and Maribor, Ljubljana, Slovenia. zalika.klemenc-ketis@uni-mb.si
authors.forename: Zalika
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Klemenc-Ketis
authors.forename: Janko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kersnik
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D004345:Drug Industry; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017524:Slovenia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires