Family practice residents' prescribing patterns

Prescription patterns of physicians in a family practice residency office were analyzed retrospectively from the following perspectives: frequency of prescribing for individual drugs and drug categories; effect of the level of postgraduate training on prescribing patterns; and effect of patient payment systems (Medicare-Medicaid, self-pay, third-party insurance) on the number of prescriptions. Antibiotics, antihistamine-decongestants, and antihypertensive medications were the most commonly prescribed medications. Psychotropic medications were used infrequently. An average of 0.70 prescriptions was issued on each office visit. Per office visit, first-year residents averaged 0.59 prescriptions, second-year residents averaged 0.69 prescriptions, third-year residents averaged 0.72 prescriptions, and the faculty averaged 0.98 prescriptions. Patients on Medicare-Medicaid averaged 0.78 prescriptions per office visit, self-pay patients averaged 0.25 prescriptions per visit, and patients with third-party insurance averaged 1.49 prescriptions per visit. The differences in the prescription rates between each payment group were significant.