Abstract
We describe the changing pattern of general practitioner prescribing in the National Health Service in England between 1970 and 1975.
The percentage increase in items of prescriptions had increased 10 times as much as the percentage increase in the population in the same period. One of the reasons given is that there may be a growing tendency to give a prescription when it would be better to give advice.
The evidence seems to support other findings that the profession responds much more widely to reports on the good effects of a drug than it does to its adverse effects.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Baker K. L., Storey E. Tetracycline-induced tooth changes. 3. Incidence in extracted first permanent molar teeth. Med J Aust. 1970 Jan 17;1(3):109–113. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bishop R. F., Davidson G. P., Holmes I. H., Ruck B. J. Virus particles in epithelial cells of duodenal mucosa from children with acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis. Lancet. 1973 Dec 8;2(7841):1281–1283. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)92867-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Crombie D. L., Pinsent R. J., Lambert P. M., Birch D. Comparison of the first and second national morbidity surveys. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1975 Dec;25(161):874–878. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gross R. J., Scotland S. M., Rowe B. Enterotoxin testing of Escherichia coli causing epidemic infantile enteritis in the U.K. Lancet. 1976 Mar 20;1(7960):629–631. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)90429-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hemminki E. Review of literature on the factors affecting drug prescribing. Soc Sci Med. 1975 Feb;9(2):111–116. doi: 10.1016/0037-7856(75)90103-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mapes R. E. Physicians' drug innovation and relinquishment. Soc Sci Med. 1977 Sep;11(11-13):619–624. doi: 10.1016/0037-7856(77)90044-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Proudfoot A. T., Wright N. Acute paracetamol poisoning. Br Med J. 1970 Sep 5;3(5722):557–558. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5722.557. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rowland M. G., Stevenson C. J. Exfoliative dermatitis and practolol. Lancet. 1972 May 20;1(7760):1130–1130. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)91482-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williams W. O. H.K. influenza 1969-70. A practice study. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1971 Jun;21(107):325–335. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]