The quality of prescribing in general practice in Kerman, Iran
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
ISSN: 0952-6862
Article publication date: 1 August 2005
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to assess the prescribing pattern of general practitioners (GPs) in Kerman province of Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 45,384 prescriptions issued in one year (2002) by GPs in ten cities of Kerman province were investigated for the number of drugs/prescription, drug name, drug category and route of administration. The mean number of drugs/prescription was 3.43.
Findings
Overall most of the drugs (97.2 per cent) were prescribed by generic name. The most frequently prescribed drugs were antibiotics (33.95 per cent), sedative/hypnotics (19.56 per cent), non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (19.2 per cent) and corticosteroids (11.2 per cent). About 42.4 per cent of the patients received an injectable drug.
Originality/value
The results of this study showed inappropriate prescription of antibiotics, NSAIDs, corticosteroids and injectable drugs. So intervention methods should be chosen to change physicians' prescribing behavior, through education of rational drug prescription, to improve the quality of prescribing practice of GPs.
Keywords
Citation
Gholamreza‐Sepehri and Meimandi, M. (2005), "The quality of prescribing in general practice in Kerman, Iran", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 18 No. 5, pp. 353-360. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526860510612207
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited