Repeat prescribing in primary care: a prescription study.
OBJECTIVE
There is limited knowledge on repeat prescribing of different drug groups in cases where the physician does not see the patient. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of repeat prescribing of different drug groups both with and without consultation.


METHODS
The study was a nationwide prescription database study performed in Finnish primary care in 2001. Each physician in a sample of 400 physicians was asked to report all patient contacts over a specified period of five consecutive working days once over a period of six months, and another sample of 400 physicians did the same for the next six months. Copies of physicians' prescriptions were collected and data on the drugs and type of prescriptions were recorded. Repeat prescriptions issued with and without a consultation were included.


RESULTS
About 19% of all prescriptions were issued without direct contact between the physician and the patient. In the different drug groups, the range was from 2% of antibiotics to 57% of antipsychotics. Psychotropics including hypnotics and tranquillizers, cardiovascular drugs and drugs for elderly patients were most often issued without consultation.


CONCLUSIONS
Repeat prescribing without consultation is common especially for elderly patients and users of psychotropics and cardiovascular drugs, and this may contribute to suboptimal therapy.
The Social Insurance Institution, P.O. Box 450, 00101 Helsinki, Finland. leena.k.saastamoinen@kela.fi
Leena
L
Saastamoinen
Hannes
H
Enlund
Timo
T
Klaukka
D000368:Aged; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs