title: Study of a policy to minimise the prescription of medicaments at first attendance at chest clinics.
abstract: In chest clinics in Madras, south India, medicaments are prescribed to many patients at the first clinic attendance, whether necessary on medical grounds or not, in the belief that this practice will increase the likelihood of the patients subsequently reattending the clinic. This study of 2608 patients in four chest clinics showed that the proportion prescribed medicaments ranged from 50% to 75%. Subsequently, a modified policy of prescribing medicaments only when they were medically essential was investigated on 956 patients in the largest of these clinics. The policy was found to be practicable, and it did not have any adverse consequences such as an increased rate of default or an unacceptable level of patient dissatisfaction. The advantages of the new policy are savings in money, man-power, and time and the potential for a reduction in the incidence of side-effects.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*