The effect of a patient charge and a prescription regulation on the use of antihypertension drugs in Limburg, The Netherlands.
On 1 February 1983 a patient charge was introduced for prescription drugs for persons insured under the Dutch Sickness Funds Insurance Act. The charge consisted of a co-payment of NLG 2.50 per prescription item up to a maximum of NLG 125 for each family per calendar year. In the period before the introduction of the charge a prescription regulation was in force. For the majority of drugs this rule directed that each prescription item should be for a dosage of not more than 30 days. The prescription regulation was officially introduced on 1 January 1981 and ceased with the introduction of the charge. The effect of both measures on the use of antihypertension drugs in Limburg was investigated in an interrupted time-series analysis. Both the prescription regulation and the charge appeared to have an effect on the number of prescription items per insurant and the number of units delivered per prescription item. However, neither measure resulted in a reduction in the number of units delivered per insurant or the number of 'defined daily doses' (DDDs) per insurant. These findings suggest that neither measure resulted in a decrease in the inappropriate or appropriate use of antihypertension drugs.
Department of Health Economics, University of Limburg, The Netherlands.
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Starmans
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Janssen
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Schepers
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Verkooijen
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003625:Data Collection; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009426:Netherlands; D011306:Prescription Fees / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis