Patient susceptibility to over‐trust: The case of off‐label prescribing

Consumer researchers focus on two primary constructs when studying pharmaceuticals: benefit and risk perceptions. Herein, we propose three variables that can influence how consumers view the benefit‐to‐risk profile of a drug: (1) trust in the doctor, (2) susceptibility to over‐trust and (3) perceived maverickism. We find that the more the consumer trusts a doctor, the greater the perceived benefits of an off‐label drug prescribed by that doctor. This relationship is magnified when consumers are susceptible to over‐trusting their doctor. Off‐label prescribing also increases the perception that a doctor is a maverick. We test the boundaries of these effects by considering agency breach perceptions arising from pharmaceutical firms' payments to prescribing doctors. Agency breach perceptions reduce post‐encounter doctor trust. Overall, this work suggests that trust reduces the likelihood that consumers will engage in the behaviors needed for the marketplace to correct itself.