["It's free, therefore they abuse...". Study of answers of medical students concerning drug consumption].
In 1994, during a public health examination, in Nancy, a question was asked to students in their 6th year of medical studies: "why do the patients who benefit of a total reimbursement of the drug's cost (that is patients that receive free medical care because they have a serious illness), consume obviously more than the others?". The aim of this study is to analyse the student's answers: 57 students gave the correct answer (serious illness explains high consumption), 44 gave several answers (included free care explains high consumption); for 71 students, it is only an abusive consumption. Although the time to complete the test is limited, it is a good indication of the student's attitudes. Many of them do not make a difference between high consumption in a case of serious illness and abusive consumption as a result of free medical care. Then the student's attitude towards the patients is frequently negative.
Cao
M M
MM
Ecole de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, Université Henri Poincaré-Nancy I, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
Deschamps
J P
JP
D001290:Attitude; D004363:Drug Utilization; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education; D013337:Students, Medical; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders