Role of Public Relations and Direct Marketing in Shaping Prescribing Behavior of Physicians
Contributors
- Dr. Madeeha Irshad Assistant Professor, Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.
- Asghar Iqbal MBA Scholar, Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
- Kanwal Iftikhar MBA Scholar, Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Abstract
The prescribing behavior of physicians is one of the critical aspects in pharmaceutical industry that influence the use of pharmaceutical or healthcare products. The prescription behavior of physicians is influenced by a number of factors. The present study aims to identify the role of public relations and directing marketing in terms of affecting physicians’ attitude and their prescribing behavior. The study employed a cross-sectional approach to collect data from physicians in Pakistan using simple random sampling technique. SPSS and SMART PLS were utilized to analyze the data. The results showed that public relations had a significant impact on physicians’ attitude and prescribing behavior. On the other hand, direct marketing had an insignificant impact on physicians’ attitude and prescribing behavior. The study has important implications for both theory and practice.
References
Aldin Sharifnia, S. H., Mohammadzadeh, M., Arzani, G., Salamzadeh, J., Abolfazli, S. A., Zali, A., & Khoshdel, A. R. (2018). Main factors affecting physicians’ prescribing decisions: the Iranian experience. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research: IJPR, 17(3), 1105. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6094427/
Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (2012). Specification, evaluation, and interpretation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(1), 8-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-011-0278-x
Chaihanchanchai, P., & Anantachart, S. (2023). Encouraging green product purchase: Green value and environmental knowledge as moderators of attitude and behavior relationship. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(1), 289-303. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3130
Dialectia. (2025). The state of the pharmaceutical industry. https://www.dialectica.io/blog/the-state-of-the-pharmaceutical-industry-growth-drivers-ai-disruption-and-competitive-strategies
Eldrwish, M. A., Aigbogun, O., Kani, Y., & Sambasivan, M. (2022). Attitude towards pharmaceutical promotional tools and its influence on physicians’ prescribing behaviour in Sudan. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 16(4), 469-489. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijphm-03-2021-0036
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention and behaviour: An introduction to theory and research. In Reading MA Addison Wesley.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104
George, D., & Mallery, P. (2010). SPSS for Windows Step by Step: A Simple Guide and Reference. In Allyn & Bacon (10th ed.).
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). Sage.
Hazeena, S. H., Chen, X., Yeh, C., Hsieh, C., Chen, M., Huang, P., Hou, C., & Shih, M. (2023). The relationship among knowledge, attitude, and behavior of workers on food safety in Taiwan’s company a. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 60(4), 1294-1302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-023-05673-8
IQVIA. (2023). The global use of medicines 2023. https://www.iqvia.com/events/2023/01/the-global-use-of-medicines-2023
Kabir, S. M., Maulan, S., Manaf, N. H., & Nasir, Z. W. (2022). The influence of direct-to-physician promotion towards physicians’ prescription behaviour in Malaysia. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 16(1), 101-122. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijphm-10-2020-0089
Kluit, A. L., Beumer, A., Van Bennekom, C. A., De Boer, A. G., & De Wind, A. (2025). The association between attitude, perceived norm, and perceived behavioral control with the provision of clinical work-integrating care: A reasoned action approach. PEC Innovation, 7, 100416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100416
Kotler, P. (2002). Marketing places. Simon and Schuster.
Levy, R. (1994). The role and value of pharmaceutical marketing. Archives of Family Medicine, 3(4), 327-332. https://doi.org/10.1001/archfami.3.4.327
Liu, C., Liu, C., Wang, D., Deng, Z., Tang, Y., & Zhang, X. (2019). Determinants of antibiotic prescribing behaviors of primary care physicians in Hubei of China: A structural equation model based on the theory of planned behavior. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-019-0478-6
Luo, J. M., Shang, Z., & Wu, S. I. (2023). Impact of employees’ generativity on green policy attitude, environmental commitment, and green behaviour. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 67(14), 3645-3668. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2023.2232103
Mor, J., Kaur, T., Menkes, D. B., Peter, E., & Grundy, Q. (2024). Pharmaceutical industry promotional activities on social media: A scoping review. Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, 15(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1093/jphsr/rmae022
Negash, M., & Adamu, A. (2017). The impact of pharmaceutical promotion strategies on prescribing behavior of physicians a developing country experience: case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Pacific Business Review International, 9(8), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230512634_3
Piachaud, B. (2004). Competition in the Pharmaceutical Industry. In Outsourcing of R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry: From Conceptualisation to Implementation of the Strategic Sourcing Process (pp. 34-55). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Pouratashi, M., & Zamani, A. (2022). University students' level of knowledge, attitude and behavior toward sustainable development: A comparative study by GAMES. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 14(2), 625-639. https://doi.org/10.1108/jarhe-06-2020-0163
Schlander, M., Hernandez-Villafuerte, K., Cheng, C., Mestre-Ferrandiz, J., & Baumann, M. (2021). How much does it cost to research and develop a new drug? A systematic review and assessment. PharmacoEconomics, 39(11), 1243-1269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40273-021-01065-y
Shakeel, S., Nesar, S., Iffat, W., Fatima, B., Maqbool, T., & Jamshed, S. (2019). A quantitative insight of the interactions of prescribers with pharmaceutical organization’s representatives in clinical settings of Karachi. Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice, 8, 75-83. https://doi.org/10.2147/iprp.s196318
Spiller, L. D., & Wymer Jr, W. W. (2001). Physicians' perceptions and uses of commercial drug information sources: an examination of pharmaceutical marketing to physicians. Health marketing quarterly, 19(1), 91-106.
Statista. (2023). Revenue of the worldwide pharmaceutical market from 2001 to 2022.
Wang, Z., Wang, R., Li, X., Bai, L., Fan, P., Tang, Y., Li, X., Huang, Y., Nie, X., Han, S., Shi, L., & Chen, J. (2024). Influencing factors of generic prescribing behavior of physicians: A structural equation model based on the theory of planned behavior. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 17, 1375-1385. https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s446743
WHO. (1988). Ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion world health organization. In World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/4d5f499f-3dcd-4eaa-8f9e-6d690ff93631/content
Yimenu, D. K., Demeke, C. A., Kasahun, A. E., Siraj, E. A., Wendalem, A. Y., Bazezew, Z. A., Atsbeha, B. W., & Mekuria, A. B. (2021). Health professional’s exposure, attitude, and acceptance of drug promotion by industry representatives: A cross-sectional study in Ethiopia. Science Progress, 104(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/00368504211029435
Corresponding Author
Dr. Madeeha Irshad
Assistant Professor, Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.
Corresponding Author: [email protected]
