Pharma gifts and payments to doctors linked to higher inappropriate prescribing, study finds

A Cochrane review of dozens of prior studies found that gifts and payments from drug makers to physicians lead to more inappropriate prescribing and a higher total number of prescriptions, which likely drives up health‑care costs.

Pharmaceutical advertising or educational activities directed at doctors showed a similar pattern, increasing both the volume of prescriptions written and their overall cost.

Conversely, policies that restrict or manage financial interactions between companies and physicians were linked to improved prescribing behaviour.

The authors also reported that evidence was insufficient to draw firm conclusions about the effect of free drug samples and other promotional tactics on the choice of specific drugs in hospital settings.