Do consumers perceive their doctors as influenced by pharmaceutical marketing communications? A persuasion knowledge perspective

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore whether and how consumers perceive the impact of pharmaceutical marketing on their own doctor’s prescribing behaviors, and subsequent responses toward their doctor’s advice.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies were conducted. Studies 1 and 2 are based on text-based manipulations and undergraduate student research participants. Study 3 uses image-based manipulations and average adult consumers.

Findings

Study 1 demonstrates that consumers can be quite skeptical about their doctor’s motives for prescribing certain brand-name drugs; in particular, consumers can construe doctors as agents of persuasion for prescribed brands. Study 2 shows that this can result not only in choosing generic drugs over prescribed brands but also in opting out of pharmaceuticals altogether by choosing alternatives like natural remedies. Study 3 further demonstrates that these effects can be easily triggered by visual cues in a non-student sample.

Originality/value

This research builds on the existing literature on pharmaceutical marketing communications, and extends the theory of persuasion knowledge into healthcare settings.

Citation

Wei, M.-L. and Delbaere, M. (2015), "Do consumers perceive their doctors as influenced by pharmaceutical marketing communications? A persuasion knowledge perspective", International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 330-348. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-06-2014-0033