Abstract
Background. Whether written feedback on drug prescribing in general practice affects prescribing habits is controversial. Most short-term studies showed no effect. However, the issue has not been tested in long-term studies involving the local general practitioner community.Aims of the study. To assess whether prescribing levels in general practice are affected by long-term, unsolicited, systematically repeated, mailed feedback.Methods. Each of the 94 general practices in Storstrøm County, Denmark, received semi-annual, mailed feedback about their prescribing volumes and costs within 13 major drug groups, in relation to the levels for all the other 93 practices over a 7-year period in a project initiated by the local general practitioner association. Data on the number of defined daily doses (DDDs) prescribed per 1000 listed patients in each practice per 6-months, and practice characteristics, were obtained from the Pharmaceutical Database at the County Health Department.Results. There was a large variation in drug prescribing volume between practices, but little within-practice variation over time. After adjustments for the influence of practice size and other potential outcome-affecting variables, there was no evidence of a general change of prescribing volume over time, no change among practices with a high or a low prescribing level, and no significant change within the various drug groups.Conclusions. We found no significant effects on prescribing levels of mailed feedback, even when repeated semi-annually during 7 years and initiated by the local general practitioner community.
Highlights
Drug prescribing in general practice is subject to attention from all interested parties
In a number of studies no effect was found [6,7,8,9], whereas others have reported limited positive effects in general practice of postal feedback of prescribing profiles for selected drug groups combined with treatment recommendations [10,11]
There were no significant differences in the distribution of age, sex, and general practitioners (GPs) experience between GPs in solo versus group practices
Summary
Drug prescribing in general practice is subject to attention from all interested parties. A basic step in the drug prescribing quality assessment process is to become aware of one’s own prescribing profile Each of the 94 general practices in Storstrøm County, Denmark, received semi-annual, mailed feedback about their prescribing volumes and costs within 13 major drug groups, in relation to the levels for all the other 93 practices over a 7-year period in a project initiated by the local general practitioner association. We found no significant effects on prescribing levels of mailed feedback, even when repeated semi-annually during 7 years and initiated by the local general practitioner community
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