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[Drug prescriptions in general medicine practice]
I Pereiró1, R Rodríguez, M J Bartual
1Unidad de Investigación de Atención Primaria. Areas 11 y 12, Dirección de Ateción Primaria Areas 11 y 12, Valencia.
Atencion Primaria
|March 31, 1995
Summary
Most drug prescriptions originate from specialist care, but prescription quality is better in health centers. Organizational structure significantly impacts prescription quality, not prescriber training.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Health Services Research
- Primary Care Medicine
Background:
- Understanding the origin of pharmacological prescriptions is crucial for optimizing primary care.
- The influence of prescriber training and healthcare organizational structure on prescription quality requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the origin of prescriptions in primary care.
- To evaluate the impact of prescriber training on prescription quality.
- To assess how organizational structures influence drug prescribing quality.
Main Methods:
- An observational, crossover study design was employed.
- Data were collected from two health centers and two consulting rooms in Valencia.
- Prescription origins and quality were analyzed based on organizational structure and prescriber training.
Main Results:
- 55% of prescriptions in consulting rooms originated from specialist care, compared to 31% in health centers.
- Significant differences in prescription quality were observed across different organizational structures (p < 0.0001).
- No significant differences in prescription quality were found based on prescriber training.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of pharmacological prescriptions in primary care stem from specialist referrals.
- The organizational model of healthcare settings is a primary determinant of prescription quality.
- Health centers demonstrate superior prescription quality compared to consulting rooms.