A year's study of drug prescribing in general practice using computer-assisted records

A year's drug prescribing by five family doctors working in a new town is reviewed. The records were computerised and some of the problems which this involved are mentioned.The range of different preparations which were used over the year was high but 76 per cent of prescriptions were accounted for by 117 preparations; 30 per cent of total prescribing was for antibiotics and psychotropic drugs. The lessons to be learned from ;self-audit' have been shown and areas for future study are discussed.