By Sydney Lupkin
A economic research study shows that oncologists’ prescribing habits change after they’ve been visited by pharmaceutical sales reps — and it also shows the changes do not extend patients’ lives.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Pharmaceutical company reps have been visiting doctors for decades to tell them about the latest drugs. But how does the practice affect patients? A group of economists tried to answer that question. NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin reports.
SYDNEY LUPKIN, BYLINE: When drug company reps visit doctors, it usually includes lunch or dinner and a conversation about a new drug. These interactions are tracked as payments to physicians, and they work. That is, doctors prescribe about 5% more oncology drugs following a visit from a pharmaceutical representative. That’s according to a new study published by …