State-of-the-art of drug usage review

Drug usage review (DUR) studies reported in 16 medical, allied health and pharmaceutical journals from 1970 to 1975 are analyzed. The studies cited included systematic data collection of prescription orders and an evaluation of these orders on at least one of the following: daily dose, length of therapy or quantity dispensed, or appropriateness of the drug itself. Gaps in both content and methodology of the DUR programs were discovered, and methods for improving future studies are discussed.