Drug Diffusion through Peer Networks: The Influence of Industry Payments
研究制药公司对医生的支付如何通过同行网络扩大影响，发现支付不仅增加受付医生的处方，还通过同行溢出效应使抗凝药处方三年内增加23%。
Pharmaceutical companies market to physicians through individual detailing accompanied by monetary or in-kind transfers. Large compensation payments to a small number of physicians account for most of this promotional spending. Studying US promotional payments and prescriptions for anticoagulant drugs, we investigate how peer influence broadens the payments' reach. Following a compensation payment, prescriptions for the marketed drug increase by both the paid physician and the paid physician's peers. Payments increase prescriptions to both recommended and contraindicated patients. Over three years, marketed anticoagulant prescriptions rose 23 percent due to payments, with peer spillovers contributing a quarter of the increase.