Date Approved

2014

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Health Sciences

Committee Member

Irwin G. Martin

Committee Member

Stephen Sonstein

Abstract

In the past decade there have been several policy changes within the health care community limiting access of pharmaceutical representatives to prescribers. This study examined the impact of lack of access to pharmaceutical representatives on internal medicine prescribers’ knowledge of medications. A web-based survey targeting prescribers’ current practice of obtaining information about new medications, their knowledge of two recently approved medications, and helpfulness of educational in-services by pharmaceutical representatives was conducted. Results showed the most common methods used to gain information of medications are conferences, journals, and word of mouth. Of the two new medications, 90% of prescribers were not at all familiar with one and approximately half were somewhat familiar with the other. More than 70% found the in-service education by pharmaceutical representatives very to somewhat helpful. Overall, this study showed that limiting access to pharmaceutical representatives has had a negative impact on prescribers’ knowledge of medications.

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