Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2142

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Mapes R.
Aspects of British general practitioners' prescribing.
Med Care 1977 May; 15:(5):371-81

Abstract:

Actual prescriptions were examined for one complete month and the physicians writing these were judged on the criteria of effectivenss and safety in what is prescribed. These criteria were correlated with professional, educational and demographic characteristics of the doctors. A tendency to incautious prescribing (use of preparations whihc have the property of frequently displaying unwanted side effects) was associated with a declared dependence on pharmaceutical industry literature.

Some criteria for the rational prescribing of pharmaceuticals were considered in relationship to the prescribing of a sample of British general practitioners. In particular, interest was focused on the criteria of effectiveness and safety in what is prescribed. Actual prescriptions were examined for one complete given month and the physicians writing these were judged on the criteria, using carefully specified definitions. Next the professional, educational, and demographic characteristics of the selected physicians were examined and an attempt was made to account for the manner in which physicians were judged on the two rationality criteria in terms of these characteristics. Ninety characteristics were originally considered. In the event it was shown that a reasonable discrimination of physicians’ prescribing could be made on the basis of five such characteristics.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/United Kingdom/analysis of prescribing pattern/primary care doctors/quality of prescribing/source of information/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS MeSH Terms: Age Factors Demography Drug Information Services Drug Therapy/standards Evaluation Studies Family Practice* Great Britain Prescriptions, Drug* Sex Factors