Table.
Categories of prescribing indicators used by primary care groups in two NHS regions in their prescribing incentive schemes
| Prescribing indicator | % (95% CI) of primary care groups (n=121) |
|---|---|
| Quality | |
| Antibiotics | 73 (66 to 82) |
| Cardiovascular drugs | 31 (22 to 39) |
| Gastrointestinal drugs | 23 (15 to 30) |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories | 22 (14 to 29) |
| Benzodiazepines | 17 (10 to 24) |
| Asthma drugs | 16 (9 to 22) |
| Antidepressants | 3 (0.1 to 7) |
| Diabetes drugs | 3 (0.1 to 7) |
| Osteoporosis prophylaxis | 3 (0.1 to 7) |
| Cost | |
| Generic prescribing | 88 (82 to 94) |
| Gastrointestinal drugs | 59 (50 to 68) |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories | 24 (17 to 32) |
| Modified release preparations | 18 (11 to 25) |
| Drugs of limited clinical effectiveness | 13 (7 to 20) |
| Antibiotics | 12 (6 to 18) |
| Combination products | 7 (2 to 11) |
| Emollients | 5 (1 to 9) |
| Cardiovascular drugs | 3 (0 to 5) |
| Antidepressants | 2 (0 to 4) |
| Antipsychotic drugs | 1 (0 to 2) |