PMID: 8961398Dec 1, 1996Paper

Rapid prescribing change, how do patients respond?

Social Science & Medicine
J S DowellJ A Dunbar

Abstract

The cost of prescribed medication is an increasing burden on health care systems. British general practitioners have been encouraged to reduce their prescribing costs through financial incentives within the fundholding scheme. This study reports on one general practice which reduced prescribing expenditure as part of the move to fundholding. Interviews performed with practice staff and patients were analysed and combined with prescribing statistics and questionnaire data to give a picture of the balance between the experience of patients and practitioners. Fifty-three interviews with 17 patients revealed that most were willing to try cheaper treatments and that dissatisfaction was primarily with the communication they received rather than the change itself. Each patient had to decide how to respond to the change in their medication. The decision-making process and the main factors involved are described and discussed. The experience of having long-standing treatment changed can have an impact on the doctor-patient relationship. This was not found to be a large problem and, it is suggested, can be guarded against. Large-scale economies in prescribing are feasible for some practices, and patients will tolerate such changes if att...Continue Reading

References

Aug 24, 1985·British Medical Journal·R G Neville, D E Meekison
Feb 25, 1995·BMJ : British Medical Journal·J S DowellJ A Dunbar
Nov 6, 1993·BMJ : British Medical Journal·S Iliffe, J Munro
Apr 27, 1985·British Medical Journal·J A GrantJ Winship

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Citations

Nov 14, 1997·Social Science & Medicine·E H Boath, A Blenkinsopp
Mar 28, 1998·Patient Education and Counseling·L M Osman
Apr 26, 2005·Social Science & Medicine·Pandora PoundRona Campbell

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