title: Clinical budgeting and drug management on long-stay geriatric wards.
abstract: Over-prescribing on long-stay wards for the elderly is a common problem. A scheme of senior doctor surveillance of prescribing on long-stay wards in a district general hospital is described, which involved stopping all drugs except those considered essential. A reduction of over 50% in the number of drugs taken per patient, and a saving of 34% in drug costs was achieved, without detriment to patients' well-being. Increased drug utilization on some wards is considered to occur because of the ward sister's demand for patients to be given drugs such as sedatives and tranquilizers. Regular re-education of nursing and junior medical staff to reduce over-prescribing is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Elderly Care, North Tees General Hospital, Cleveland.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Gibbins
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bose
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002017:Budgets; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005376:Financial Management / Q000191:economics*; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D005853:Geriatrics; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders