Example of advice | Category of advice |
Use naproxen as first choice when prescribing COX inhibitors | Choice of medicine |
Choose simvastatin for prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients with normal to medium increased levels of cholesterol | Choice of medicine |
Do not use quinolones for treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in women | Choice of medicine |
Always give the patient an updated medication list | General advice |
Estimate and consider renal function in the selection and dosing of medicines | General advice |
Verify the diagnosis before treating according to the ‘heart failure treatment ladder’ and seek to establish good heart rate control (below 70 bpm in sinus rhythm) | General advice |
Do not treat uncomplicated acute bronchitis with antibiotics | Overtreatment |
Do not treat asymptomatic bacteriuria in the elderly and only culture from urine if the patient is experiencing urinary tract symptoms | Overtreatment |
Treatment with proton pump inhibitors is not advisable in the case of stomach pain of unknown cause | Overtreatment |
Improve antihypertensive treatment: determine a target blood pressure together with the patient, combine medicines more often and follow-up | Undertreatment |
Treat depression to complete remission | Undertreatment |
Increase the use of medicines to prevent relapse in alcohol dependence and follow-up treatment outcome | Undertreatment |
Categories: (1) choice of medicine—that is, preferred choice of substance within a group of medicines used for a specific diagnosis, (2) overtreatment—that is, avoid using medicines unnecessarily, (3) undertreatment—that is, reminders to look for and treat conditions that are often inadequately diagnosed and/or treated or (4) any other type of general advice related to drug therapy.