PONE-D-22-31149Changes in Japanese physicians’ relationships with the pharmaceutical industry between 2008 and 2021: a national surveyPLOS ONE

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Partly

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: I Don't Know

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: i think its important think about the Pharmaceutical sales. Pharmaceutical representatives doing a good job to promote their companies product. How they can convince the doctor to increase the sale of their product is important. I am excited that the japanese specialty doctors are not influenced by the promotions given by the PRs. However, the study does not seem novel.

Reviewer #2: The article discusses the involvement of physician in pharmaceutical promotional activities and attempts to track the changes from a previous 2008 study. They used a survey tool that partly resembles their previous tool which makes it hard to track this change. Also the survey tool was not part of the publication, not knowing the language of the question makes it hard to understand the responses provided. There was no logical explanation on why different specialties was a determining factor for significance. In addition, unlike the research done on sillier topics in the US, there is no legislation or decision from professional organizations or medical schools that deters physician from interacting/accepting gifts and promotional material from pharmaceutical representative, so the variable studied between 2008 and now is, and based on the study findings, not a determining factor to change attitudes/behaviors.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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Changes in Japanese physicians’ relationships with the pharmaceutical industry between 2008 and 2021: a national survey

PONE-D-22-31149R1

Dear Dr. Mukhora,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Kind regards,

Soham Bandyopadhyay

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE