Influence of Medical Representatives on Prescribing Practices in Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia.
BACKGROUND
Drug promotion by medical representatives is one of the factors that influence physicians' prescribing decisions and choice of drugs.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the influence of medical representatives on prescribing practice of physicians in health facilities, Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia.


METHODS
Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted enrolling all physicians working in public and private health facilities. All public and private health facilities were included and similarly, all physicians rendering services in these facilities were sampled in the study. The data were collected from February to March, 2015. Data were then entered into Epidata Version 3.1 and transferred to STATA version 12 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine predictors.


RESULTS
Of the ninety physicians approached in this study, 40 (48.2%) of the physicians believed that their prescribing decisions were influenced by visits of medical representatives (MRs). The odds of physicians who received gifts from MRs being influenced to prescribe their respective products was six times higher than those who reported not accepting any gifts [AOR = 6.56, 95% CI: 2.25, 19.13]. Stationery materials 23(35.4%) and drug samples 20(54.2%) were the commonest kinds of gifts given to physicians and face to face talking 45(54.2%) was the most frequent promotional methods. The finding of this study showed that around thirty-nine percent of MRs have had negative attitude toward competitors' product. Moreover, working in private health facility was also another predictor of influence of prescribing decision in the study area [AOR = 12.78, 95% CI: 1.31, 124.56].


CONCLUSIONS
Nearly half of the physicians working in Mekelle reported that their prescribing decisions were influenced by MRs in the last 12 months. Accepting gifts and working in private health facilities were predictors of influencing prescribing decisions. However, most MRs fails to provide adequate and accurate information regarding their products and they had a negative attitude towards the competitors' product(s).
Pharmacoepidemiology and Social Pharmacy Course and Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Birhanu Demeke
BD
Workneh
Pharmacoepidemiology and Social Pharmacy Course and Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Mehari Gebregergis
MG
Gebrehiwot
Pharmacoepidemiology and Social Pharmacy Course and Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Tigist Assefa
TA
Bayo
Pharmacoepidemiology and Social Pharmacy Course and Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Meles Tekie
MT
Gidey
Pharmacoepidemiology and Social Pharmacy Course and Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Yared Belete
YB
Belay
Department of Medical Laboratory, Ayder Referral Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Desalegn Mergiaw
DM
Tesfaye
Pharmacoepidemiology and Social Pharmacy Course and Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Terefe Teshome
TT
Kassa
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D037921:Gift Giving; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult