Revisiting the Role of Traditional, Electronic and Mobile-Based Communication Channels in the Pharmaceutical Industry of Lithuania

Abstract

The study revisits communication channels currently used to access medical information and investigates perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) about traditional, electronic and mobile-based channels in the context of Lithuania. A total of 254 GPs were surveyed. The findings suggest that the pharmaceutical companies still rely on pharmaceutical sales representatives to disseminate the newest information about prescription drugs. The results indicate that the leading experts in the healthcare industry contribute most to GPs’ drug-prescribing intentions and conferences organised by local and international scientific societies are considered to be the most reliable channels. Further, local websites designed for GPs have the highest perceived value among electronic and mobile-based communication channels. Statistically significant differences among different GPs’ age groups are confirmed regarding channel preferences and their reliability: international scientific conferences and international health journals are more popular and are perceived as more reliable among younger GPs compared to more senior GPs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.26.5.12510