“… the GP explained that these visits gave him a chance to familiarise himself with the ‘stuff’ he had ‘no opportunity to see during day-to-day work’ as he ‘just jots down [a name]’ when issuing a prescription (GP19). The opportunity to see and hold the physical objects in his hands, the GP explained, gives him a chance to regain an overview when treatment fields become ‘confusing’. Thus, the materiality of medications matters to GPs.”

Wadmann, S. and L. E. Bang (2015). “Rationalising prescribing: Evidence, marketing and practice-relevant knowledge.” Social Science & Medicine 135(0): 109-116.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953615002701