[An analysis of the diagnoses and prescription for chronic patients at a health center].
OBJECTIVE
To find out if there are differences between inhabitants ages 14-64 with prescription charge (group A), pensioners ages 14-64 without prescription charge (group B), and pensioners aged over 64 without prescription charge (group C), related with chronic morbidity, associated treatment and costs data.


METHODS
A crossover descriptive study (1995).


METHODS
Urban primary health care centre.


METHODS
Participants are inhabitants 14 and over assigned to this health centre (12,605), included in a data bank register, patients are participants with at least a chronic diagnostic (7,007).


RESULTS
Participants data were transferred to a practice computer system. Three groups (above) were established according to age band and prescription charge status: group A (73.6% participants), B (8.4%), and C (18%).


CONCLUSIONS
Inhabitants ages 14-64 without prescription charge were a differentiated group related with number of chronic diagnoses, number of items to chronic treatment prescribed, and annual average chronically drug costs. So they are intended for use in the future in allocation of budgets to primary health care centres.
Ausejo Segura
M
M
Centro de Salud Gómez Acebo, Area/Sector XI del INSALUD, Madrid.
Sáenz Calvo
A
A
Iñesta García
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003933:Diagnosis; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011306:Prescription Fees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data