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Medication discussion groups in the Netherlands: five years of experience
1Stichting (DGV), Dutch Institute for Effective Use of Medication The Netherlands.
Introduction:
Nation-wide implementation of medication discussion (MD) groups in the Netherlands was designed as a bottom-up approach and has been in progress for five years. This invites a review of what has been achieved in these structured discussions between general practitioners and pharmacists.
Context:
Early in 1997 the Dutch Foundation for Effective Use of Medication (DGV) initiated a fact-finding exercise among general practitioners and pharmacists representing MD groups all over the country.
Objective:
Description of the setting up and the operation of medical discussion groups. Comparison of the quality of the consultations between the start of the project (1992) and 1997.
Methods:
Two surveys of medical discussion groups in 1992 and 1997, respectively.
Results:
The quality of the consultations was found to have improved in comparison with an evaluation shortly after the start of the project.
Conclusion:
The overwhelming majority of those interviewed were satisfied with the MD process, which they consider a useful effort. But there is also a wish for increased commitment to guidelines agreed in MD group consultations.