Nearly Half Of Primary Care Practices See Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives Weekly

Across all types of primary care practices (PCPs), nearly 50% reported receiving weekly visits from pharmaceutical representatives. Nearly 60% reported they maintain a “sample closet” (a closet of free pharmaceuticals) provided by those representatives.

About 60% of independent multi-physician PCPs received weekly visits from pharmaceutical sales representatives, as did 39% of PCP practices in complex systems (many multi-physician PCPs and more than one hospital). About 54% of PCPs with fewer than 10 physicians and 27% of PCPs with fewer than 20 physicians received weekly visits. Pharmaceutical sales representatives made weekly visits to 56% of non-academic-affiliated PCP . . .