XXXX prescribing in general practice: dispelling some myths.

@entity1 @entity1245 @entity148 @entity22
The objective was to analyse clinical and non-clinical factors associated with the receipt of a prescription for a @entity1245 among general practice @entity1 . A survey of 110 consecutive @entity1 encounters (consultations) as recorded by a representative sample of general practitioners in inner urban, outer urban and rural settings was designed. A total of 286 general practitioners took part during 1991-2. 31,256 @entity1 (10,683 male; 34%) were surveyed and the odds of receiving a @entity1245 script measured. @entity22 , unlike @entity148 , was almost routinely managed with a @entity1245 alone ( @entity22 89.6%; @entity148 49.4%), whereas @entity148 was more likely to be managed with non-drug management ( @entity22 7.2%; @entity148 38.3%). In multiple logistic regression, the variables significantly associated with the prescription of a @entity1245 included being a female @entity1 , being an older @entity1 and being an established @entity1 , who attends a GP working in a busy practice in an inner urban area. A second regression model was run with the addition of three variables, namely the presenting problems of @entity148 and @entity22 , and the number of health problems. The only predictors of @entity1245 prescribing in the full model were these three clinical variables together with @entity1 age. There is a need to educate doctors about the non-drug management of @entity22 . The stereotype of the doctor over-prescribing a @entity1245 without an appropriate problem/diagnosis should be questioned. On the other hand, there is concern that @entity1 age continues to be associated with a prescription of these medications, when all other clinical and non-clinical factors are taken into account.
