Abstract
Prescribing plays a major role in the activities practiced by physicians. The vast majority of health care consultations occur in the primary health care (PHC) system, where medication errors are more likely and can even be potentially life threatening. The goal of this study is to explore the factors affecting prescribing decisions among physicians working in PHC institutions in Al-Buraimi Governorate, Oman using a cross-sectional survey. Of the 53 physicians who received the questionnaire, 41 (77.4%) completed it. The Cronbach's alpha of the instrument was 0.913. The main patient factors that influenced prescribing decisions were age group (78%), gender (75.6%), and medication preference or untruthful patients (70.7%). The main physician factors were the lack of treatment alternatives (70.7%), doctor–patient relationship (68.3%), strict policies and guidelines (65.9%) and avoiding problems of drug unavailability (65.9%). The pharmacist influenced prescribing decisions for 36.6% of physicians. The methods used for keeping physician s’ medical knowledge up to date were private reading and the Internet (87.8% and 80.5%, respectively). Sources of prescribing guidance were colleagues and evidenced-based medicine websites (78.0% and 70.7%, respectively). The current study sheds some light on the factors and behaviours that influence physician prescribing decisions in PHCs in Al-Buraimi Governorate, Oman. Additionally, this study could be used for developing policies to improve drug selections and to increase clinical and economic effectiveness and efficiency.
Highlights
The complexity of prescribing decisions might lead to irrational prescribing, which is a public health problem with the potential to harm both the individual and society (Mossialos, Walley, & Mrazek, 2004)
The goal of this study is to explore the factors affecting prescribing decisions among physicians working in primary health care (PHC) institutions in Al-Buraimi Governorate, Oman using a cross-sectional survey
Seventy-eight percent of physicians working at extended health centres had postgraduate qualifications. 85.4% of the sample was of non-Omani background
Summary
The complexity of prescribing decisions might lead to irrational prescribing, which is a public health problem with the potential to harm both the individual and society (Mossialos, Walley, & Mrazek, 2004). Prescribing drugs is a serious problem, among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, who receive nearly half of all prescription items (Royal College of Physicians, 2000). This can lead to higher hospital admissions and avoidable costs (Beijer & De Blaey, 2002; Tamblyn et al, 1994). Medication errors are another concern at the primary health care (PHC) level, where they are more likely to be clinically significant (Neyaz et al, 2011). The consequences of the above can include a loss of health, quality of life and benefits for patients and society as well as increased health care gjhs.ccsenet.org
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