[Willingness to prescribe by international non proprietary names: general practitioners attitudes in South East France in 2002].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the willingness, reasons and perceived obstacles to prescription by international non-proprietary name (INN) among general practitioners (GPs) in private practice. Method A panel of private GPs practicing in South-eastern France was surveyed twice, 2 months before and 5 months after a new contract between the National Health Insurance system and GP associations (5 June 2002). The panel was constructed with a random sampling approach stratified according to age, sex, and size of the urban unit.


RESULTS
Between March-April and November-December 2002, the percentage of GPs willing to prescribe according to INN rose from 76.2% to 89.7%. These physicians reported that their principal reasons for such prescription were the June agreement and concern about the finances of the Health Insurance system. The principal obstacles they mentioned were the complexity of prescription by INN (66%), lack of appropriate information and tools (47%), and patient reticence (41%).


CONCLUSIONS
More effort must be devoted to providing adequate information to patients and GPs. GPs need better training, information, and tools to help transform their willingness into action.
Verger
P
P
Observatoire régional de la santé PACA, Marseille. verger@marseille.inserm.fr
Gourheux
J-C
JC
Villani
P
P
Desquins
B
B
Bouvenot
G
G
Paraponaris
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D016568:Drugs, Generic