title: The effects of a postgraduate course on opioid-prescribing patterns of general practitioners.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study is to evaluate whether a single palliative cancer care workshop, which included information about drug prescribing, had an effect on the opioid-prescription patterns of general practitioners in daily practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The opioid-prescription figures of 68 general practitioners who had participated in the workshop were aggregated from the computer system of the Regional Sick Fund. The prescription figures of a year before and a year after the workshop were compared and a control group of non-participants was included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study showed a limited efficacy of a palliative cancer care workshop on the morphine-prescription figures of the general practitioners in daily practice. This limited effect did not accord with the results of a pre- and post-workshop questionnaire evaluating the attitudes of the same practitioners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single workshop can not effectuate substantial changes in prescription behaviors. Possibilities for more reinforcements are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center North Netherlands, Groningen.
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Schuit
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Otter
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Sleijfer
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Meijler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meyboom-De Jong
mesh_terms: D004363:Drug Utilization; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009020:Morphine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009426:Netherlands; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D009020:Morphine; D005283:Fentanyl