ABSTRACT
In treating hypertension, physicians are often faced with the difficult task of prescribing drugs that provide the greatest benefit with the lowest risks. Physicians treat patients on an individualized. case-by-case basis; however, it is likely that physicians maintain an established procedure for treating their hypertensive patients within the constraints of select patient characteristics and product attributes. The purpose of this study was to supplement understanding of antihypertensive drug prescribing patterns and, using conjoint analysis and direct question ratings, to determine the relative importance of product attributes in physicians' evaluation of a new antihypertensive that is similar to presently marketed products. A 5-page questionnaire was mailed in March 1991 to a national sample of 2.505 physicians that included 835 cardiologists (CARDs). 835 internists (IMs), and 835 family practitioners (FPs). From a total of 630 responses, 562 responses were usable for data analysis. This study found that the majority of physicians would chose the newer product classes (i.e., ACE inhibitors and calcium antagonists) as first-step therapies in treating both mild and severe hypertension. As a second step in the treatment of mild hypertension, slightly more than one-half of the physicians chose to add another product to their initial therapy rather than replacing the initial drug when it did not control the hypertension. Specialty did not predict product class choice in mild or severe hypertension or the choice between adding or replacing the first-step agent. Using conjoint analysis, the order of importance of product attributes was side effects, efficacy, price, and compliance.