Examining Prescribing Behavior: Sociodemographic Profiles, Drug Efficacy, and Marketing Dynamics

This study delves into the complexities of prescribing behavior, focusing on sociodemographic profiles, drug efficacy, and marketing dynamics within the healthcare sector. Utilizing a questionnaire comprising 33 items, we surveyed 267 healthcare professionals in Rabat, Morocco. Employing reliability tests such as Cronbach's Alpha and statistical analyses including ANOVA, chi-square test, Cramer's V, and Pearson correlation, we scrutinized the data. Our findings reveal significant results pertaining to profession, experience, specialty, and interactions with medical representatives. The examination of sociodemographic profiles underscores how factors such as age, gender, education, and socioeconomic status influence prescribing decisions. Moreover, the assessment of drug efficacy highlights the meticulous evaluation process healthcare professionals undertake, weighing factors like clinical effectiveness, anticipated side effects, and adherence to clinical practice guidelines. In the realm of marketing dynamics, our study illuminates the substantial impact of pharmaceutical promotional strategies on prescribing behavior. Notably, interactions with medical representatives emerged as a pivotal determinant, with healthcare professionals heavily relying on commercial information provided by pharmaceutical representatives. The reliability tests conducted on our questionnaire ensure the robustness of our data analysis, while the statistical tests employed offer insights into the significance of various factors influencing prescribing behavior. Specifically, differences in prescribing behavior based on profession, experience level, specialty, and frequency of contact with medical representatives were found to be statistically significant. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of prescribing behavior within the healthcare landscape, shedding light on the multifaceted interplay between sociodemographic factors, drug efficacy considerations, and marketing dynamics. These insights have implications for healthcare policy, medical education, and pharmaceutical marketing strategies, aiming to optimize prescribing practices and enhance patient care outcomes.