Doctors are not pressured into giving prescriptions

doi:10.1136/bmj.316.7135.938

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James D Ramsden, Senior house officer in surgery,
F Russell Quinn, Senior house officer in medicine,
Miles Witham, Senior house officer in medicine

Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LJ
Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G4 0SF
Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD

EDITOR—From their study of general practices in Australia, Cockburn and Pit suggested that patients who expect a prescription are more likely to be given one by their doctor.1 We found similar results in an unpublished study that looked at all consultations in five Oxford general practices over one week in 1994. Questionnaires were given to patients before consultation to ascertain age, sex, and whether …