title: An audit of generic prescribing in a general surgical department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Health Service Executive introduced a generic prescription policy to reduce costs. Despite this, generic prescription rates remain low.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To audit in-patient prescription practice in a single surgical department and identify potential savings which could be realised by adherence to the generic prescribing policy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical in-patient charts were obtained at the point of discharge and their drug prescription information was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  51% of prescriptions involved a trade-name prescription where an appropriate generic equivalent existed. The cost implications for hospital and community patients were found to be greatly affected by substitution policies that exist at hospital pharmacy level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to promote greater adherence to generic prescribing amongst hospital doctors in line with international best practice. It can have a positive impact in terms of safe prescribing and can have cost implications at both hospital and community level.
authors: Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Gleeson
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Coyle
authors: M Clarke
authors: MC
authors: Moloney
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Walsh
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Grace
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D010351:Patient Discharge; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D016568:Drugs, Generic