The trend: Physicians’ views on pharmaceutical promotions have soured over the past several years, according to a recently published study in JAMA Health Forum. Researchers compared responses from over 2,300 medical students and residents in 2011 with about 300 of the same cohort who are now doctors 13 years later.

Unpacking the trend: Clinicians are more concerned than they used to be about the healthcare industry’s reliance on pharmaceutical marketing.

• In 2011, less than 6% of medical students and residents said they strongly agreed that trust in medicine was threatened by pharma marketing interactions.
• But nearly 15% of doctors held this view in the 2024 survey.
• About 72% of physicians in 2024 believe that interactions between pharma and students in training facilities should be banned, up from 6% who felt this way in 2011.
• For context, many pharma companies look to build relationships with medical trainees still in school, even giving small gifts in some cases.

Yes, but: Over three-quarters (77%) of physicians in the 2024 survey report that they receive some useful information from pharma marketers, up from 66% who said this in 2011.

Zooming out: Drugmakers commonly pay doctors for consulting and speaking services, as well as travel and meals during company events.

• Payments must be legally documented through a federal database, though many people still criticize this allowance due to perceived conflicts of interest (e.g., doctors choosing which drugs to prescribe based on the pharma company they have ties with).
• 57% of physicians have received a payment from pharma or medical device companies, per a study published last year in JAMA Network.

Additionally, pharma marketers use a range of strategies to educate physicians on their company’s latest medications and treatments. This includes pharma sales reps directly going to doctors’ offices. It also entails digital marketing tactics such as reaching physicians on social media and advertising in online medical journals and other web sources.