Rationalising prescribing: Evidence, marketing and practice-relevant knowledge

Initiatives in the name of ‘rational pharmacotherapy’ have been launched to alter what is seen as ‘inappropriate’ prescribing practices of physicians. Based on observations and interviews with 20 general practitioners (GPs) in 2009–2011, we explored how attempts to rationalise prescribing interact with chronic care management in Denmark. We demonstrate how attempts to rationalise prescribing by informing GPs about drug effects, adverse effects and price do not satisfy GPs' knowledge needs. We argue that, for GPs, ‘rational’ prescribing cannot be understood in separation from the processes that enable patients to use medication. Therefore, GPs do much more to obtain knowledge about medications than seek advice on ‘rational pharmacotherapy’. For instance, GPs also seek opportunities to acquaint themselves with the material objects of medication and medical devices. We conceptualise the knowledge needs of GPs as a need for practice-relevant knowledge and argue that industry sales representatives are granted opportunity to access general practice because they understand this need of GPs.