Community physicians ’ attitudes towards meetings with representatives of pharmaceutical companies: a pilot study

ConclusionThe anticipated heterogeneous attitudes of community-based physicians on interactions with representatives of pharmaceutical companies reflect an inherent complex relationship, with aspects that are specific to the Israeli medical field. Interestingly, physicians trained in other countries than Israel also have divergent attitudes, further affecting the socio-cultural impact on practitioner ’s attitudes towards this intricate and often politicized topic. Open professional dialogue and targeted educational programs on the physician–pharmaceutical relationship, with more explicit regulation, could potentially ease the discomfort experienced by physicians, especially in the Israeli co ntext and result in a clearer framework of interaction that would leverage the potential advantages while accounting for ethical and regulatory pitfalls.
Source: Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice - Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: research