[Prescription of benzodiazepines by general practitioners--how can habits be changed?]

During the period 23.11.1987-6.12.1987, the medical offices of health in the County of Copenhagen and in Frederiksberg undertook an analysis of prescriptions with the object of illustrating the prescriptions of benzodiazepines by ten general practitioners. The investigation included a total of 260 prescriptions for benzodiazepines. On an average, 92 defined daily doses were prescribed per 1,000 women over 15 and 52 defined daily doses per 1,000 men over 15 years. An age-corrected review of the prescriptions revealed scatter in the prescriptions by the practitioners of approximately 300% (29-102 defined daily doses per 1,000 patients per day). All of the practitioners prescribed most for women in the age group 40-70 years. Compared with a corresponding investigation in Roskilde County in 1986, the general practitioners prescribed fewer defined daily doses at a time, after the possibility for repeated issue of prescriptions for benzodiazepines was annulled as from 1.1.1987.