Comparison of targeting a DUR letter intervention at pharmacists separate from and in addition to physicians.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the impact on dipyridamole prescribing of a letter mailed to pharmacists and/or physicians.


METHODS
Interrupted time series with control series.


METHODS
State of Wisconsin.


METHODS
Physicians and pharmacists caring for patients who were prescribed dipyridamole.


METHODS
The state of Wisconsin was divided into four sections, three of which were designated as experimental regions (letter to physician only, letter to pharmacist only, and letter to both physician and pharmacist) and one of which served as a control region.


METHODS
Cost of drug per patient per month in ambulatory and long-term care populations.


RESULTS
For 763 long-term care and 586 ambulatory Medicaid patients, letters sent to both physicians and pharmacists resulted in significant reductions in dipyridamole expenditures relative to the control group. For long-term care patients, interventions directed at both physicians and pharmacists produced significant reductions in dipyridamole prescribing relative to interventions directed at physicians alone or pharmacists alone.


CONCLUSIONS
Future DUR letter interventions designed to change prescribing habits would be more effective if they targeted both physicians and pharmacists, particularly in the long-term care setting.
Mott
D A
DA
College of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA. mott.24@osu.edu
Collins
T M
TM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010595:Pharmacists; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004176:Dipyridamole