Table 1 An overview of determinants driving prescribing decisions, as identified from the scoping literature review
Determinants of prescribing choices | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
Product-related | Clinical data | Scientific clinical safety and efficacy data for a particular product. |
Cost | The cost for the respective medicinal product. | |
Administration | The modalities regarding the administration of the product: route (i.e., subcutaneous, intravenous, oral), frequency, device, etc. | |
Novelty | Whether the product was recently introduced to the market; prescribers wanting to be associated with new treatment approaches. | |
Physicians’ personal | Working environment | The setting in which the prescriber works (i.e., academic hospital, private hospital, general hospital, or private practice). |
Region | The region where a physician works within a country. | |
Prescribing habits | Prescribers stick to the medicine that they have most experience with. | |
Age | The age of the prescribing physician. | |
Healthcare system-related | Preference of key opinion leaders (KOLs) | Prescribing preferences of key opinion leaders (KOLs) or senior staff members. |
Clinical guidelines | The most recent scientific or clinical guidelines, or the lack of them. | |
Time pressure | The limited time that they have available to discuss a new treatment with their patients. | |
Financial incentives | Financial incentives developed by the government, or those related to the financing system of the hospital, etc. | |
Patient-related | Patient profile | Clinical characteristics of the patient, comorbidities, comedication, age, gender, lifestyle, etc. |
Patient preference | The preference of the patient for a particular product (or product characteristic) influences the prescribing decision. | |
Knowledge or perception of patients | The perception that a patient may have regarding a particular medicine. | |
Related to the pharmaceutical company or brand | Marketing and promotion of the pharmaceutical company | Marketing or promotional activities of pharmaceutical companies including sponsorships, grants, value-added services, visits from pharmaceutical representatives, samples etc. |
Reputation (or trust) in the company or brand | The reputation of the pharmaceutical company that markets the medicinal product, or the reputation of a specific brand. | |