Changes in reimbursement policy for antibiotics and prescribing patterns in general practice.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of a reduction in reimbursement of the cost of antibiotics on the prescribing pattern in primary care in Denmark. METHOD: We analyzed the general practitioners' prescriptions of antibiotics during 1993--96 in relation to a reduction in reimbursement on the basis of national health service data in the county of North Jutland (population 488 000). On 1 January 1996 the reimbursement for tetracyclines was withdrawn, and for other antibiotics reimbursement was reduced from 75% to 50%. RESULTS: The total consumption of all antibiotic groups increased steadily in the county until 1995, and in 1996 a decrease of 13% was seen. A very marked reduction was noticed immediately after 1 January 1996 for the more expensive broad-spectrum antibiotics. The use of tetracyclines dropped by 42% during the first 3 months of 1996 after withdrawal of reimbursement. CONCLUSIONS: It is reasonable to assume that the new reimbursement policy has initiated a reduction and caused a shift in general practitioners' prescribing of antibiotics. Thus a differential reimbursement policy might influence general practitioners' prescribing behavior towards antibiotics, with desirable ecological consequences.
Steffensen
Flemming Hald
FH
The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Arhus, Arhus.
Schønheyder
Henrik C.
HC
Tølbøll Mortensen
Jens
J
Nielsen
Kirsten
K
Sørensen
Henrik Toft
HT