Summary
We have defined the effect and acceptability of a locally developed general practice progmmme for the modification of prescribing. This volunlary programme consisted of prescription analysis and feedback. followed by visits from a pharmacist, a therapeutic bulletin on benzodiazcpine prescribing, and use of a locally compiled preferred medicines list. A 3-month prescription sample from 26 general practitioners (GPs) fulfill ing a stable practice definition was used to compare prescribing pre-project and mid-project. For 20 out of 26 GPs, prescribing of medicines on the preferred medicines list had increased significantly 8 months after the intervention programme had been introduced. Total prescription numbers and total medicines expenditure decreased by 8.3 and 4.9%, respectively, from 1988 to 1989. The decrease in benzodiazepine prescribing was marked (mean-22.2%. range-50.3 to +4%). The cooperative multimodel approach was highly successful in modifying prescribing in general practice.
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Ferguson, R.I., Salmond, C.E. & Maling, T.B. The Nelson Prescribing Project. Pharmacoeconomics 7, 555–561 (1995). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-199507060-00009
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-199507060-00009