How susceptible are you to flashy graphics touting a drug\u2019s benefits? Can a 3-minute read \u2013 that gives you a drug\u2019s gist but not much more \u2013 influence your prescription preferences? Do you review methodological rigor of a drug\u2019s underlying clinical studies before prescribing it? Which influences your prescribing preferences more often, physician marketing promos or medical journal abstracts? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t have time \u2013 or inclination \u2013 to ponder these questions than just wait until the FDA\u2019s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) finishes its new study. The study, announced on July 18, will determine \u201chow physician perception of professional prescription drug communications is influenced by variations in information context, methodological rigor of the underlying clinical study, and time pressure.\u201d1<\/sup> OPDP will first conduct a smaller pretest with 158 voluntary participants, to make sure everything is working as planned, and then move on to the main study with 566 voluntary participants. Volunteers will be limited to board-certified internists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The study will revolve around a made up \u201cnew\u201d drug,\nand the OPDP will present the fabricated\ndrug\u2019s info in three different vehicles: a medical journal abstract, a sales aid\nwithout graphic design elements, and a sales aid with graphic design elements. In\nother words, does presentation matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for assessing how time constraints\naffect a practicing physician\u2019s interpretation of drug communications,\nhalf of the study participants will have two minutes to read materials and the\nother half will be able to read at their leisure.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n In case you\u2019re wondering, OPDP\u2019s\nmission is to \u201cprotect\nthe public health by helping to ensure that prescription drug information is\ntruthful, balanced, and accurately communicated, so that patients and health\ncare providers can make informed decisions about treatment options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n