The effect of doctor ethnicity and country of qualification on prescribing patterns: an ecological study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of doctor ethnicity and country of qualification on prescribing patterns.


METHODS
Ecological study.


METHODS
90 Family Health Services Authorities in the U.K.


RESULTS
Being an Asian doctor and qualifying from the Indian subcontinent contributes to 5% of the observed variation seen in the frequency of prescribing, but not the cost. The major determinant of variation in prescribing is deprivation, which accounts for 14% of the cost and 32% of the frequency of prescribing.


CONCLUSIONS
Being an Asian doctor and qualifying from the Indian subcontinent contributes to the frequency, but not the cost of prescribing variation. As this study was at the FHSA level, 'ecological fallacy' exists and further research is advocated at the individual doctor level.
Gill
P S
PS
Centre for Research in Primary Care, University of Leeds, UK.
Dowell
A
A
Harris
C M
CM
D000328:Adult; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D010820:Physicians; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class