[A system, developed by prescribing doctors, of indicators of the quality of pharmaceutical prescription in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
To work out a system of indicators and standards, designed by means of a consensus group of general practitioners, that enables evaluation of the quality of Primary Care prescription to be improved. Design. Informal consensus method.


METHODS
A PC area in Asturias with 156 614 inhabitants and 9 health centres.Participants. Nine PC doctors accepted voluntarily to take part in the project.


METHODS
A consensus group of nine PC doctors was formed. At a first meeting they worked out some potential indicators of quality of prescription. After applying these indicators to the prescription data, a second meeting was held, at which the results of applying the indicators along with criteria of excellence were used to establish the definitive indicators and their numerical values of optimum compliance.


RESULTS
It was possible to agree by consensus 11 indicators of quality of prescription and their values of optimum compliance. Eight of the indicators referred to choice of a medicine within a pharmaco-therapeutic group; and three, to groups in which the volume of prescription may suggest improper usage.


CONCLUSIONS
It is feasible for PC doctors to reach a consensus on a group of criteria that is perceived as valid for measuring quality of prescription and which includes certain impalpable values for determining quality.
Gómez Castro
M J
MJ
Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria. Departamento de Medicina. Area de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Publica. Universidad de Oviedo. Asturias. Spain. mjgc@telecable.es
Arcos González
P
P
Rubiera López
G
G
Rigueria
A I
AI
D000328:Adult; D032921:Consensus; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D013030:Spain