Study of prescriptions issued in base health areas of the Primary Care Administration of Sabadell
Franzi Sisó, A.; Placencia Zarzoso, M.L.; Rodríguez Latre, L.
Atencion Primaria 20(8): 408-414
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0212-6567 PMID: 9462934 Document Number: 470146
To quantify and describe Primary Care (PC) prescription originated by specialists, doctors outside the public health system and users. A descriptive, crossover study. Eight base health areas in Primary Care, Sabadell, Barcelona. The medical prescriptions issued by 96 Primary Care doctors during a month. The information on the treatments begun during the study period were analysed. 34,319 drugs products were prescribed for new conditions. 64.9% of these originated with the Primary Care doctor, 31.9% in specialist or private care, and 3.2% were requested by the user. The main diagnostic groups associated with prescriptions originating elsewhere were acute respiratory pathology, followed by Rheumatism not affecting the joints, anxiety and depression. In our milieu, a high percentage of prescriptions originate outside Primary Care. This study has identified the distribution of this prescription originating elsewhere and the variability, both in amount and origin, of PC prescriptions. It could also serve as a useful point of reference for other similar contexts.