EAPC - ipac

406 EAPC Abstracts
22 Invited Lecture
Implementation of research into clinical practice: What makes
sustained research work in daily practice
Impact of industrial marketing on decision making
Authors: Per Sjøgren Pain Center Rigshospitalet DENMARK
According to the literature the complexity of physicians choice behaviour
regarding drug prescriptions appears to consist of several elements including
effect and side effect profiles, compensatory rules and drug costs, pharmaceutical
marketing as a quick source of information and certain types of nonmedical
marketing incentives (such as free conference participation). We
have recently performed two studies addressing factors influencing opioid
prescription and decision-making regarding pain treatment in Denmark. The
first study was a questionnaire survey, which among others asked physicians
about their most important sources of knowledge in pain management. The
questionnaire was sent out to 90 pain specialists and to 180 hospital physicians
of different specialities treating chronic pain. Both groups of physicians
rated their own clinical experience and reading scientific papers as the
most important sources of knowledge on analgesics. Both groups refused to
acquire knowledge on analgesics from the pharmaceutical industry. In
another study we have assessed the actual behavior of pain specialists as the
opioid consumption in six specialized units (departments/teams of palliative
care and pain clinics) were investigated. The study was a cross-sectional
study including the medical records of 347 cancer patients and interviews
with the unit leaders. In total 278 patients of 347 were treated with opioids
for background pains. Of all 347 patients 73 % had strong opioids for breakthrough
pain. There was no difference between the units regarding the frequency
of opioid consumption; however, a significant difference in the consumption
of the three most frequently used opioids morphine, oxycodone
and fentanyl was found (P