title: [Introduction of the electronic prescription in a primary care district: impact on pharmaceutical expenditure and the factors determining its use].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the impact of using the electronic prescription on pharmaceutical expenditure (PE), and to explore the factors determining its use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two multiple regression models were constructed. For these two models, the PE and the percentage of electronic prescription use were taken respectively as dependent variables. Data from nine Primary care centres were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each point increase in prescription by active principle (PAP) was associated with an average reduction of 2,079 PE € per year. In contrast, every percentage increase in the use of electronic prescriptions was associated with an annual increase of 1,027 €. In addition, factors like card adjusted for age and type of pharmacy (TAFE) allocated (€ 36.71/year), the burden of care (€ 2,585/year) and frequency of clinic visits (€ 17,148/year), were also associated with increased PE. The other factors associated with an increase in the electronic prescriptions were, lower rurality rates, greater distance from the capital, greater PAP, as well as less clinic visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electronic prescription use seems to be a predictor of pharmaceutical expenditure in which every percentage increase relates to an average annual increase of 1,027 Euros. This variable along with the prescription by active principle, and the amount of TAFEs assigned, as well as the burden of care and number of visits, are variables which help to explain more than 65% of the PE variability between physicians. Likewise, the increase in expenditures related to electronic prescriptions seems to occur at the expense of increasing number of prescriptions per patient.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública UCEIMP, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España. silvia.calzon.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calzón
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mercader
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Cantalejo
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valencia
mesh_terms: D016527:Drug Costs; D055695:Electronic Prescribing / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013030:Spain