Table 2.
Comparison of prescribing rates (per 100 Medicare services) in intervention (n=1294) and control (n=1146) groups for quarter before and quarters after each intervention. Figures are medians and ranges (interquartile (25th to 75th) ranges (middle 50% of distribution); 5th to 95th centile ranges (middle 90% of distribution))
| Drug | Before interventions*
|
After first intervention†
|
After second intervention‡
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Control | Intervention | Control | Intervention | Control | |||
| All prescribing | 77.7 (63-97; 43-134) | 77.8 (61-95; 44-130) | 78.7 (63-96; 42-139) | 77.9 (62-96; 43-136) | 79.2 (62-98; 40-138) | 77.6 (62-96; 42-135) | ||
| Oral antibiotics | 10.7 (8.39-13.6; 5.75-19.8) | 10.7 (8.45-13.2; 5.59-18.9) | 14.4 (11.1-18.1; 7.43-25.8) | 14.4 (11.4-17.7; 7.39-24.9) | 10.5 (8.13-13.3; 5.41-19.3) | 10.1 (8.02-12.7; 5.32-18.4) | ||
| NSAIDs | 3.14 (2.28-4.24; 1.20-6.53) | 3.12 (2.22-4.23; 1.22-6.62) | 2.99 (2.09-4.10; 1.03-6.13) | 3.01 (2.15-4.01; 1.15-6.47) | 3.16 (2.25-4.26; 1.07-6.49) | 3.18 (2.28-4.20; 1.25-6.45) | ||
| ACE inhibitors | 2.54 (1.74-3.61; 0.91-6.10) | 2.59 (1.82-3.44; 0.87-5.49) | 2.62 (1.80-3.76; 0.86-6.13) | 2.61 (1.85-3.61; 0.92-5.78) | 2.76 (1.85-3.93; 0.82-6.36) | 2.78 (1.97-3.73; 0.95-6.02) | ||
| H2-receptor antagonists | 3.14 (2.29-4.29; 1.13-6.58) | 3.20 (2.27-4.35; 1.13-6.48) | 3.03 (2.17-4.07; 1.02-6.09) | 3.07 (2.18-4.21; 1.06-6.20) | 3.22 (2.33-4.41; 1.14-6.60) | 3.24 (2.31-4.37; 1.13-6.65) | ||
| Lipid lowering drugs | 0.73 (0.43-1.13; 0.12-2.17) | 0.76 (0.46-1.17; 0.11-2.01) | 0.79 (0.47-1.26; 0.15-2.32) | 0.83 (0.50-1.27; 0.15-2.10) | 1.03 (0.60-1.53; 0.19-2.72) | 1.02 (0.66-1.57; 0.22-2.68) | ||
*
January, February, March 1995. †July, August, September 1995. ‡January, February, March 1996.
NSAIDs=non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; ACE=angiotensin converting enzyme.