Should Rx Data Be Used By Pharma?

This is a great question as posed by numerous people (see WSJ blog).  Now, the one reality that most people don’t realize is that the data is only directionally correct.  Not everyone sells their data to the aggregators so depending on pharmacy (or PBM) marketshare the data could be close to significantly off.

Perhaps, that’s not the issue.  The question is whether pharma should have a right to see prescription data by physician to understand their behavior.  It’s not patient specific data so that alleviates what I think should be the big issue.

Between patients visiting healthcare sites, registering for coupons, buying disease specific publications or supplies, the individual data is probably a lot easier to get and use…and probably more accurate (at least at the household level). 

Assuming no one says that pharma can’t communicate with physicians, I think the data is relevant.  Certainly, they have an agenda – drive marketshare of their drugs.  I think we have to assume that physicians aren’t just guppies that hear the pharma rep talk and do whatever they say.  Physicians are smart, well-trained professionals that should be able to hear messaging about drug pros and cons; look at the research; talk to their peers; talk to their patients; and appropriately prescribe. 

I think the prescription data probably creates a more efficient system.  Physicians that use a drug frequently are visited less often by the rep and don’t spend time away from patients.  Physicians that don’t prescribe a drug frequently (and prescribe a high volume of competitive drugs) probably get more visits…BUT they have the choice of saying don’t come. 

[I’m taking a little extreme of a view here since nothing is black and white, but I’m not sure I see the privacy issue here.]