Wide variation in the number of different drugs prescribed by general practitioners: A prescription database study

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Abstract
Objectives - To investigate the number of different drugs prescribed per dispensing unit and to analyse the influence of practice characteristics on this number. Design - Register analysis based on the Odense Pharmacoepidemiological Database (OPED). Setting - General practices in the County of Funen, Denmark. Subjects - 173 general practices (99 single-handed and 74 group practices). Main outcome measures - Number of different drugs prescribed per dispensing unit. Results - The number of different drugs prescribed per dispensing unit varied nearly fourfold (range 102-381) and four practice characteristics were able to predict 74% of this variation. Practices with several doctors, a high number of patients listed per doctor, a high percentage of elderly individuals, and a heavy workload showed the highest number of different drugs prescribed. Conclusion - As the quality of drug prescribing is associated with the use of a limited number of drugs, it is suggested that GPs should agree on a formulary containing the most essential drugs in primary health care.