Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing Research Articles

Impact of Digital Marketing in Pharmaceutical Industry

Digital marketing is an essential tool these days to build the image of any organization in the market and among customers. Digital marketing helps to provide basic knowledge about the organization through different posts and updates on social media. Digital marketing helps the organization post the feed and update their customers with activities and services. Digital marketing refines the brand image and provides the organization with proper information about the choices of customers. The pharmaceutical industry is a part of the healthcare industry, which is engaged in the manufacturing of medicines. The pharmaceutical industry is growing day by day. The pharmaceutical industry is also moving towards digital marketing as the competition is increasing day by day with different challenges. Digital marketing is helping the organization provide services to upgrade customers' knowledge. The pharmaceutical industry is following FMCG companies to understand digital marketing and how to upgrade the organization and product through different platforms. The pharmaceutical industry is adopting different digital marketing strategies to promote its brand and organization on different social media platforms. By utilizing digital marketing, pharmaceutical companies can reach a wider audience and engage with customers in a more personalized way. This allows them to stay competitive in the market and adapt to changing consumer behaviors.

The Impact of the Epidemic Opening Policy on the Pharmaceutical Industry Index

Starting from December 8, 2019, China began to report the earliest cases of unexplained pneumonia patients. Until January 9, 2020, China officially declared the pathogen as the coronavirus. From this moment on, COVID-19 officially appeared in peoples vision. After about two years of nationwide ban, on December 7, 2022, China announced that it would officially lift the control of novel coronavirus. The research object of this article is the economic impact of deregulation on the pharmaceutical industry market. Use ARIMA model for prediction. The data in the pharmaceutical industry is divided into daily data and monthly data. Observed the short-term and long-term effects of open policies, and explained the research results based on actual situations. After data analysis and analysis of the actual situation, the conclusion is that the open policy of the epidemic has certain benefits for the pharmaceutical industry in the short and long term. Investors can also pay appropriate attention to the stock market of the pharmaceutical industry and start holding shares in the medium and long term.

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Traditional Approach to Marketing in the South African Pharmaceutical Industry during the Covid19 Pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a traditional approach to marketing in the South African Pharmaceutical industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
 Design/Method/Approach: The study adopted a qualitative and exploratory research design with an interpretivist epistemological paradigm. Interviews were conducted using the Zoom virtual platform to adhere to social distancing restrictions. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using QDA Miner Lite software. The purposive sample consisted of eight participants employed within the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.
 Findings: The study found that the Covid-19 pandemic prompted pharmaceutical and medical device companies to modify their traditional marketing strategies. The restricted access of pharmaceutical sales and marketing representatives to healthcare facilities led to a shift towards digital marketing.
 Theoretical Implications: The study contributes to the development of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of traditional marketing strategies in the pharmaceutical industry during times of disruption. It highlights the need for pharmaceutical companies to adapt their strategies and incorporate digital platforms into their marketing efforts.
 Practical Implications: Practitioners in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry can learn from the study's findings by recognizing the importance of diversifying marketing strategies and embracing digital platforms. Adapting quickly to disruptive events such as the Covid-19 pandemic is crucial to maintaining market effectiveness.
 Originality/Value: This study offers new insights into the efficacy of traditional marketing strategies in the South African pharmaceutical industry during a global pandemic. It emphasizes the value of incorporating digital platforms and diversifying marketing approaches to enhance industry resilience.
 Research Limitations/Future Research: The findings of this study are specific to the South African pharmaceutical industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. Future research could explore the effectiveness of traditional marketing strategies in different geographical contexts and examine the long-term impact of incorporating digital platforms into marketing strategies.
 Paper Type: Empirical
 JEL Classification: : I11, M31, L89

Bibliometric review of the economic potential and use of medicinal plants in Brazil

The objective of this study was to conduct a bibliometric review on the economic potential of medicinal plants used as phytotherapeutics. To achieve this, a search was conducted on Google and Google Scholar websites, without a specific time frame, using terms such as medicinal plant, medicinal plants, economic value of medicinal plants, economic potential of medicinal plants, medicinal plants used by the Unified Health System (SUS), and the word “leaflet” followed by the common or scientific name or the phytomedicine. Based on the texts found through this search, this article was elaborated. As a result, the history of medicinal plants and the evolution of their use were introduced, considering them as sources of biologically active molecules that currently hold significant economic potential in the pharmaceutical industry market. Additionally, due to being lower-cost alternatives compared to allopathic medicines, they are widely used by the SUS. The study of new phytotherapeutics is a highly promising field, particularly in Brazil, which possesses an immeasurable quantity of plants with medicinal properties. However, significant research and effective development of new phytomedicines require increased financial investment in the area to boost the production of new Brazilian phytopharmaceuticals and genuine phytotherapeutics. This, in turn, will generate higher profits in this sector.

Association Between Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing Payments to Physicians and Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid Administration to Medicare Beneficiaries

This cross-sectional study assesses the physician and financial factors associated with the use of hyaluronic acid to treat knee osteoarthritis.

Emerging Trends in Advanced Translational Applications of Silver Nanoparticles: A Progressing Dawn of Nanotechnology.

Nanoscience has emerged as a fascinating field of science, with its implementation in multiple applications in the form of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has recently been more impactful in diverse sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture sector, and food market. The peculiar properties which make nanoparticles as an asset are their large surface area and their size, which ranges between 1 and 100 nanometers (nm). Various technologies, such as chemical and biological processes, are being used to synthesize nanoparticles. The green chemistry route has become extremely popular due to its use in the synthesis of nanoparticles. Nanomaterials are versatile and impactful in different day to day applications, resulting in their increased utilization and distribution in human cells, tissues, and organs. Owing to the deployment of nanoparticles at a high demand, the need to produce nanoparticles has raised concerns regarding environmentally friendly processes. These processes are meant to produce nanomaterials with improved physiochemical properties that can have significant uses in the fields of medicine, physics, and biochemistry. Among a plethora of nanomaterials, silver nanoparticles have emerged as the most investigated and used nanoparticle. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have become vital entities of study due to their distinctive properties which the scientific society aims to investigate the uses of. The current review addresses the modern expansion of AgNP synthesis, characterization, and mechanism, as well as global applications of AgNPs and their limitations.

Perspective and current state of international standards influence on prevention and treatment of diseases through the prism of developing high-quality and safe medicines

The aim of the work was to examine international legislation covering the legal responsibility in the pharmaceutical field; to analyze activities of international organizations in the area of combating counterfeit drug distribution. Materials and methods. The study was based on international legal instruments aimed at ensuring legal certainty concerning consideration of drug falsification and similar crimes and imposition of criminal liability for activities related to the falsification of medicines. During the work we used methods of information retrieval, analysis, systematization and generalization. Results. An urgent problem of modern medicine is the use of high-quality drugs for the treatment and prevention of diseases. Compliance with standards, in particular international ones, during the development of drugs is the key to both effective treatment and further research in the field of basic clinical medicine, including obtaining new scientific data, improving methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of internal diseases. Transformation processes related to Ukraine’s European integration, development of the pharmaceutical industry market, establishment of additional requirements for the quality and safety of medicines necessitate the implementation of state policy aimed at implementing European Union (EU) legal regulations governing legal liability for offenses. committed in pharmaceutical activities. Special attention is paid to the issues of harmonization of the Ukrainian national legislation with the international legislation on the regional level developed by the Council of Europe and the EU on combating the falsification of medicines, including the imposition of criminal liability. Conclusions. The implementation of the international legislation norms of providing legal liability for offenses in pharmaceutical activity into the national legislation plays a positive role, eliminating the shortcomings of the relevant Ukrainian legislative acts.

The Economic Implications of the Relationship between Pharmacy and Psychiatry in Lithuanian 2001-2020: The Problem of Biomedical Access

Although previous research in Lithuania has indicated the construction of the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness through historical and cultural chapters, a considerable amount of research has been published in foreign literature that has emphasized the role of the pharmaceutical industry in diagnosing and treating mental illness. In this paper we examine the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry (pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing companies), healthcare professionals and healthcare organizations in the mental health field. The relationship between the pharmaceutical industry (pharmaceutical and medical devices manufacturing companies) and healthcare professionals can be analyzed in two ways: research-oriented interactions and promotion practices. This relationship is inevitable and can be beneficial, however, conflicts of interest arise, which create a risk of potential harm to users and patients (e.g. as receiving suboptimal or unsuitable treatment, or waste of private and public money). This research analyzes both the relationship between the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and the pharmaceutical industry market in Lithuania in 2010-2020, as well as the efforts of Lithuanian health care institutions in restructuring the mental health care system. Based on the analysis of the literature and statistical data, we state that after the restoration of independence, the main method of mental health treatment in Lithuania is still medical treatment, i.e., patients with mental illnesses and behavioral disorders are treated with medication. The main factors determining the still dominant method of medical treatment of mental illness are the following: first of all, the Soviet legacy (the paradigm of medical treatment - the Soviet paradigm); secondly, the restoration of independence in our country has created excellent conditions for Western pharmaceutical companies to develop their activities and increase sales of medicines, including psychotropic drugs; and third, medical treatment is cheaper for the state than complex treatment. This study draws on an analysis of the social origins of mental illness, while reviewing the previously unappreciated role of the interests of pharmaceutical companies in expanding their markets for the treatment of mental illness with drugs.

Optimizing irrigation for boosting gynura procumbens growth in Malaysia urban area

<p><span>Growing herbs traditionally could not meet the increasing demand for high medicinal value herbs in the pharmaceutical industry and domestic market. One of the solutions is by growing herbs using vertical structures in urban areas. Even so, the amount of water needed to optimise the growth of Asian local perennial herbs in vertical structures is yet to be explored. Hence, this paper investigated the performance of a fuzzy based irrigation method in optimising irrigation for boosting the local perennial herb growth. The understudy local perennial herb is Gynura Procumbens. The decision-making for irrigation relies on the data given by soil moisture, temperature, and humidity sensors. The performance of the proposed system is compared with a timer-based system, in terms of plant growth rates, given by average leaves diameter, height, and plant crown of local perennial herbs. The results have shown that the proposed intelligent irrigation system has reduced water consumption by 16.93% and the average plant growth rate has increased by at least 1.5% and to a maximum rate of 76.64%.</span></p>

الجامعة المستنصرية / كلية الادارة والاقتصاد

The new trends in Iraq’s economic policy by adopting the market mechanism in the economy after 2003, which necessitated the integration between the role of the state represented by the public sector and the role of the private sector in the process of economic and social development that depends on mobilizing the community’s potential for various economic sectors and civil society institutions in institutional organizations that undertake, establishing and operating projects after the separate economic sectors faced challenges and difficulties in achieving development goals at the targeted levels. Therefore, many developed and developing countries sought to create institutions that adopt participatory organizations in which the public and private sectors contribute to directing, managing and operating projects, developing and developing them in order to serve Its objectives are based on a participatory basis, good governance, transparent accountability and mutual benefit, as the relationship between the partnership parties is characterized by an integrative and substitutionary nature at the same time, with a dynamic nature that depends on the size, nature and importance of the role that each sector plays in the development process, according to the prevailing economic system, and its stages of development up to faster rates of economic and social development, and the pharmaceutical industry is one of the Industries that require increased spending on research and development programs to produce patents within the pharmaceutical preparation processes for a new product, as well as flexibility in dealing with these expenses and their impact on the level of pricing and marketing of the pharmaceutical product. Most economic studies go to the fact that spending on research may reach more than 10 % of the value of pharmaceutical sales to obtain a therapeutic product using advanced technology. In this regard, we find that there is a difference in the use of technology in the pharmaceutical industry in both developed and developing countries, as pharmaceutical technology in developed countries depends on training and innovation, while pharmaceutical technology depends in developing countries, including Iraq, on improving manufacturing methods and quality control only. The research has been strengthened by highlighting the pharmaceutical partnership approved by the State Company for the Pharmaceutical Industry / Samarra as a reformist factor in economic activity, as well as supporting and encouraging the private sector and activating its role by emphasizing on building partnerships between the public and private sectors in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, and giving way to foreign pharmaceutical companies , the pharmaceutical industry market needs foreign investment to obtain financing sources as well as modern technology according to the formulas of cooperation or concession or contribution to the establishment of new pharmaceutical factories. The research concluded that the research hypothesis is achieved to a large extent when activating the mechanisms of partnership between the public and private sectors on the ground.

Missing the Forest for the Trees: Marketing Systems Approach to Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing Practices

The overall aim of this study is to examine firm strategic choices that trigger negative externalities culminating in market failure, system crisis, and public harm. A conceptual framework of marketing system crisis rooted in conflict of interests (COI) theory is used to make the following arguments: (1) marketing strategies emulated by the industry actors at micro level set lock in through path dependencies, (2) such path dependencies may be associated with negative externalities in the form of reduced quality of life of downstream stakeholders in adjacent systems, (3) back lash by system actors precipitates market failure inviting regulatory oversight in the form of fines that tarnish trust and firm reputation, (4) with implications for system crisis and public welfare. A systematic analysis of court documents pertaining to pharmaceutical industry settlements bolstered by sales data from the company reports and Medicaid reimbursement data indicate that, for the case examined, diverse marketing practices are systematically developed with the strategic intent to insert external incentives that influence physician judgment and trigger market failure through negative externalities. Implications for marketing for a better world, systems health, pharmaceutical marketing, and suggestions for incorporating COI principles into theories of marketing for a better world conclude the paper.

Transparency or restricting gifts? Polish medical students’ opinions about regulating relationships with pharmaceutical sales representatives

Relationships between physicians and pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs) often create conflicts of interest, not least because of the various benefits received by physicians. Many countries attempt to control pharmaceutical industry marketing strategies through legal regulation, and this is true in Poland where efforts are underway to eliminate any practices that might be considered corrupt in medicine. The present research considered Polish medical students’ opinions about domestic laws restricting doctors’ acceptance of expensive gifts from the industry, the idea of compulsory transparency, and the possibility of introducing a Polish Sunshine Law. A qualitative, focus group-based, interview method was used. Data were gathered from nine focus groups involving 92 medical students from three universities located in major Polish cities. The article presents a classification of opposing student views with regard to the consequences of introducing different legal solutions; this should be useful for policy makers deliberating on how to optimally regulate pharmaceutical marketing. The study’s results are discussed in the context of the public bioethical debate in Poland.

The global procurement landscape of leishmaniasis medicines.

Ensuring access to essential medicines for leishmaniasis control is challenging, as leishmaniasis is a very small and unattractive market for pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, control programmes are severely underfunded. We conducted an analysis of global procurement of leishmaniasis medicines for the past 5 years in order to shed light on the current leishmaniasis market landscape and supply and demand dynamics. We estimated global demand of each leishmaniasis medicines, the amount of each medicine required to treat all reported cases, based on the number of cases reported to WHO and the first-line treatment regimen used in each country. Procurement data were obtained from procurement agencies, international organizations, WHO, national leishmaniasis programmes and manufacturers. Expert interviews were conducted to have a better understanding of how medicines were procured and used. The comparison of estimated need and procurement data indicated discrepancies in supply and demand at global level as well as in the most endemic countries. The extent of the gap in supply was up to 80% of the needs for one of the leishmaniasis medicines. Mismatch between supply and demand was much wider for cutaneous leishmaniasis than visceral leishmaniasis. This study presents a current picture of procurement patterns and imbalance in global supply and demand. Addressing improved access and supply barriers requires concerted and coordinated efforts at the global and national levels. Priority actions include setting up a procurement coordination mechanism among major procurers, partners and national programmes where forecasting and supply planning is jointly developed and communicated with manufacturers. In addition, continuous engagement of manufacturers and advocacy is critical to diversify the supplier base and ensure quality-assured and affordable generic medicines for leishmaniasis.

"There are ways … drug companies will get into DTC decisions": How Australian drug and therapeutics committees address pharmaceutical industry influence.

One tool for protecting quality use of medicines in hospitals is a drug and therapeutics committee (DTC) that oversees medicines availability. Pharmaceutical industry marketing to prescribers is associated with less appropriate prescribing and increased costs. There is little data on decision-making practices of DTCs so it is unknown whether or how they might be vulnerable to pharmaceutical industry influence. This project explores DTC decision-making with a focus on how pharmaceutical industry influence on access and use of medicines is identified and managed. We used a qualitative methodology with individual interviews of 29 participants who were current or recent members of public hospital DTCs across New South Wales, Australia. Participants included medical, pharmacy and nursing staff and 1 citizen. Committees were linked to specific hospitals or regions, and some were affiliated with paediatric, neonatal, rural or mental health services. Drug committee processes for oversight of medicines in public hospitals are vulnerable to pharmaceutical industry influence at several points. Applications for formulary additions are sometimes initiated and completed by company representatives. Conflict of interest disclosures among applicants and committee members may be incomplete. In some institutions, medicines are available from pharmaceutical companies without committee review, including through free samples and industry-supported medicines access programmes. Participants noticed the presence and impact of pharmaceutical company marketing activities to local clinicians, resulting in increased prescriber demand for products. Improved DTC practices and review of hospital policies concerning pharmaceutical marketing activities might preserve the independence of evidence-based decision-making for safe, cost-effective prescribing.

Pharmaceutical Market and Drug Price Policy in India

Drug prices and cost of healthcare are two major concerns globally. This entails to examine the structure and performance of domestic pharmaceutical industry and Indian market’s pricing policy of drugs. This article contributes to the debate around regulation of drug prices in India from the perspectives of the healthcare of the poor and affordability.

Active Learning to Promote Early and Effective Physician Interaction with Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing Practices.

Interactions with pharmaceutical companies influence physicians' prescribing behavior. Less than half of US family medicine residency programs have educational curricula addressing their influence. However, medical students have extensive exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing during their early years of training. We developed a successful and required active learning curriculum for medical students during their first-year of medical school. A philosopher bioethicist lectured to first-year medical students on the ethical issues surrounding the interactions with pharmaceutical representatives and outlined the three principles approach to clinical ethics as presented in the American Board of Internal Medicine Physician Charter (2002). The lecture also described the eight physician types offered by Fugh-Berman et al. Students watched two fictitious physician-pharmaceutical representative interactions. To promote active learning, students were provided a 3 × 3 Bingo card with each physician type. The bioethicist facilitated a discussion addressing the interactions. Two hundred twenty-nine first-year medical students participated in this required intervention. Fifty-two percent of first-year medical students had already interacted with pharmaceutical representatives. The session changed students' opinions of pharmaceutical representatives and their ability to identify strategies to mitigate their influence. Students articulated ethical issues involved in the interaction, techniques used by pharmaceutical representatives, and techniques that could be used by medical students or physicians. Ninety-one percent of students believed they could independently find reliable information about a drug. The session was effective to start the conversation regarding the ethical issues involved with the interaction between medical students/physicians and pharmaceutical representatives in the first year of medical school.

Reasons for the low influenza vaccination rate among nurses in Slovenia.

This study aimed to identify nurses' views on influenza vaccination and factors that might explain why they do not receive influenza vaccinations, and to examine any ethical issues encountered in the vaccination process. All 27 European Union member states and 2 other European countries recommended influenza vaccinations for healthcare workers in 2014-15. Data show that the influenza vaccination rate among nurses in Slovenia is even lower than in other European countries. Slovenian study showed that 41.7% of the respondents had received both the pandemic and the seasonal vaccine. Doctors had the highest level of vaccine coverage, with 44.1%, followed by registered nurses at 23.4%, whereas the lowest level was found among nursing assistants and nursing technicians (17%) at a Ljubljana health clinic. A qualitative study was carried out. Nineteen nurses who did not receive influenza vaccination took part in the study. Thematic interviews were conducted in December 2018. Interview transcripts were read, coded, reviewed and labelled by three independent researchers. The collected material was processed using qualitative content analysis. Thirteen categories and four themes were identified and coded, which enabled an understanding of the nurses' views regarding influenza vaccination. Most of their experiences were positive in one way: they recognised the importance of vaccination and people's awareness of it. However, they did not obtain the influenza vaccine themselves. The main barriers to vaccination were doubt regarding the vaccine's effectiveness, the potential for side effects, the belief that young healthcare professionals are well protected and not at high risk, an overrated trust in their own immune systems, and the belief that pharmaceutical industry marketing was targeting them. The nurses suggested several ways that vaccination could be promoted and improved vaccination coverage achieved. These findings call attention to the importance of recognising both the need for targeted information for the nurses and the need for different approaches to healthcare provision.

Case Study: Competitive Advantage at All Costs - An Inside Look at Five Pharmaceutical Industry Practices Which Undermined Customer Relationships

This study attempts to answer the question: Over the past 35 years, what competitive business practices instituted by the pharmaceutical industry intended to drive increased competitiveness and business efficiencies had the unintended results of increasing the publics’ general distrust and dissatisfaction with the industry? This paper takes a unique perspective by analyzing five apparently disparate business practices designed to improve business performance but which also increased customer distrust and dissatisfaction of the industry. Specifically the five business practices were:Reliance on pharmaceutical marketers with MBAs but limited or no practical pharmaceutical selling experience.The loss of independent pharmacies and pharmacists as customers due to the rise in national pharmacy chains.Purchase and use of physician-specific prescribing dataUse of direct to consumer advertising for prescription drugsDelaying generic competition and providing industry support for the Affordable Healthcare Act in exchange for U. S. government prohibition against the importation of low cost prescription drugs into the U.S. and prohibiting negotiated Medicare drug prices.The paper uses a case study methodology. The results section details the practices reviewed in this case study and suggests they did improve competitiveness and efficiencies, but also contributed to erosion in customer confidence which includes key customer groups: physicians, pharmacists, patients and payers. Consumer groups such as American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) are focusing both financial resources and membership efforts to advocate for changes in pharmaceutical industry pricing and marketing practices. To see if this phenomenon has occurred in other industries, it was observed that the airlines, fast food and information technology industries also pursued greater business efficiencies. The discussion section suggests they too experienced and continue to experience significant customer relationship issues resulting from the drive for greater efficiencies, including government intervention to address customer concerns. The conclusions review some of the limitations of this study and suggest areas for additional research.

The Impact of Brand Trust on Physician’s Prescription Decision Towards Prothrombin Complex Concentrate with a Special Reference to Octaplex®

Management of Hemostasis is an integral role for any Intensivist in assurance of recovery of a hemorrhage patient who is often treated in an ICU, and building trust of a product segment related to such vital treatment will undoubtedly hold an utmost importance. Yet in researches and articles in current Medical Marketing setup it is found to be very limited, and in the case of Biological and Bio-Similar Marketing its almost non-existence. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate and prove the significant positive impact of Brand Trust on Physicians Prescription Decision and Moderation impact powered by the synergy of Relationship Marketing. The research consists of data which was collected via online questionnaire and captured the data required from the target sample cohort which is distributed via respective specialized academic colleges of their representation through email and filed online by the participants of quantitative research. Moreover, two of the main key opinion leaders (KOLs) were interviewed and qualitative data were summarized. The collected data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) procedures to reach meaningful conclusions. Thereby the study proves the significant positive impact of Brand Trust on Physicians Prescription Decision and Moderation impact which synergized by Relationship Marketing. The study is an original contribution to the field of Marketing in Biological and Pharmaceutical Industry. The proposed relationships are based on Brand Trust, Physician’s Prescription Decision and Relationship Marketing. Furthermore, the Moderating effect of Relationship Marketing on the relationship between Brand Trust and Physician’s Prescription Decision is unique to this study.

Active Learning to Promote Early and Effective Physician Interaction with Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing Practices

IntroductionThe challenge: There is not enough time in an overcrowded medical curriculum to prepare medical students to meet their professional ethical obligations before they first interact with the pharmaceutical representatives.The solution: A team of educators including a medical ethicist, pharmacist, MDs and MD student successfully pilot a required, engaging ethics intervention integrated into the first‐year pharmacology course.BackgroundInteractions with pharmaceutical companies influence physicians' prescribing behaviour.Medical students have extensive exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing during early years of training. We integrated an ethics intervention in the first‐year medical students' required pharmacology course to address this.Methods120 students were divided into four equal‐sized groups for a one‐hour session. A short lecture described techniques used by reps to influence prescribing practices, including those developed for 8 physician types. Students watched two 5‐minute live dramatizations of a physician‐pharmaceutical representative interaction based on scripts developed by the team. Students identified examples of the techniques they could see being used on the physician‐actor according to one of the 8 types. Students debriefed with faculty, completed pre‐ and post‐session surveys, and a post‐course evaluation. 9 students did not complete either the pre‐ or post‐session surveys.Results45% of students had no prior experience with pharmaceutical representatives. 44% of students agreed or strongly agreed that pharmaceutical representatives provide educational value to medical students/physicians, both before and after the session. However, the number of students who agreed or strongly agreed that pharmaceutical representatives provide biased information increased from 82% to 98% after the session. The number of students who said pharmaceutical marketing and promotional activities have moderate or strong influence on physician prescribing decisions increased from to 63% to 80%. When asked to list all which would be acceptable for medical students to accept from a pharmaceutical representative, 25% of students said nothing would be acceptable before the session, compared to 61% afterwards. 90% of students believed that after the session, they could be able to individually find reliable information about a drug.ConclusionThe session altered how first year medical student viewed encounters with pharmaceutical representatives. Their perceptions of the information and interactions with pharmaceutical representatives changed during the session, and they learned methods to individually find reliable information about a drug. Further analysis and investigation into educating first year medical students on the pharmaceutical industry is recommended.Support or Funding InformationThis study was not supported by a grant and has been approved by FIU IRB.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.