의사-제약회사 상호작용이 처방에 미치는 영향

The relationship between the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry has received considerable attention in recent years in Korea. In this article we examine the impact of physicianpharmaceutical industry interaction (PPII) on physician prescriptions. While physicians’ decisions concerning prescriptions are influenced by many factors, two of the most influential are the visits of sales representatives from pharmaceutical companies and the gifts and other enticements that pharmaceutical companies provide for physicians. Patients regard gifts from pharmaceutical companies as less appropriate and more influential than do physicians. Inappropriate relations between physicians and pharmaceutical companies can damage physician-patient relationships and harm the medical profession as a whole. Recent investigations in the United States and Korea have found many illegalities in physician-pharmaceutical industry interaction. The article argues for the urgent need to develop clear ethical codes and compliance mechanisms concerning PPII.