BMJ 1994;308:731-732 (19 March)

Editorials

Towards rational prescribing

One tenth of the NHS's budget (pounds sterling 3.6 billion in England and Wales in 1992-3) goes on drugs prescribed by general practitioners. This drug bill grew by 14% last year, making it a target for Treasury efforts to find politically acceptable ways of limiting NHS spending. Despite recent headlines of "GPs' wasteful drug habits" British general practitioners prescribe fewer drugs than their counterparts in many developed countries and are usually described as "conservative prescribers."1 But, according to the Audit Commission's recent report A Prescription for Improvement: Towards More Rational Prescribing in General Practice, they should become even more conservative.2,3

Based on studies of 10 family health services authorities and interviews with 54 practices, the report details examples of "best practice." The authors insist that what they want is rational prescribing - that is, prescribing that takes account of efficiency, safety, appropriateness, and economy - not cheaper prescribing. In some . . . [Full text of this article]


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  • Wetterneck, T. B., Linzer, M., McMurray, J. E., Douglas, J., Schwartz, M. D., Bigby, J., Gerrity, M. S., Pathman, D. E., Karlson, D., Rhodes, E., for the Society of General Internal Medicine Caree, (2002). Worklife and Satisfaction of General Internists. Arch Intern Med 162: 649-656 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Leufkens, H, Haaijer-Ruskamp, F, Bakker, A, Dukes, G (1994). Scenario analysis of the future of medicines. BMJ 309: 1137-1140 [Full text]  
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