Physician Assistant and Physician Assistant student exposure to and perceptions of pharmaceutical representatives in the clinical setting: A Pilot study at Wichita State University

Abstract

A physician assistant (PA) exercises considerable autonomy in diagnosing and treating illnesses, along with the responsibility of prescribing medication. In 2006, PAs transmitted approximately 286 million prescriptions.1 Pharmaceutical companies thus market to physicians, medical students, PAs, and PA students to promote the use of their products. The purpose of this study was to fill a literature gap by conducting a survey that assessed WSU PA and PA student exposure to and perception of pharmaceutical representatives. Subjects completed a 45 question survey based upon a previous study among medical students at UCLA.2 All respondents verified having at least one type of interaction with the pharmaceutical industry. A majority of respondents reported being less likely to be influenced by marketing strategies than would their colleagues, a finding similar to previous studies conducted on physicians and medical students. PAs and PA students are exposed to the same influences as their MD counterparts. This implies that interventions used for MDs should also be applied to PAs.