Study links doctors' pharma freebies to higher rates of inappropriate prescribing

A global Cochrane review of 93 studies involving millions of prescribing decisions concluded that doctors who receive money, meals or other gifts from pharmaceutical firms are more likely to write prescriptions that are expensive, offer limited benefit, or are clinically unnecessary. The analysis compared physicians with frequent industry contact to those with little or no contact, finding higher prescription counts and greater spending among the former.

The evidence base was dominated by U.S. data, where detailed payment disclosures are publicly available, and also included European findings; no Australian studies were part of the review because granular payment data are not accessible there. Co-authors highlighted that even small incentives, like a $13 lunch, can influence prescribing, and that environments with robust conflict-of-interest rules see better prescribing practices. Australian experts noted that despite a national medical code restricting gifts, industry lobbying remains widespread, and they called for stronger policies across hospitals, governments and medical schools.