Purpose: To analyse strengths and weaknesses of a simple method for assessing the general quality of drug prescribing and to study the acceptance of the method among general practitioners (GPs).
Methods: Prescriptions dispensed during October-December 1999 and 2000, respectively, were analysed for 38 Primary Health Care centres (PHC) in Stockholm participating in an intervention project with the aim of increasing cost-consciousness among GPs. Focus was on quality of prescribing rather than on costs. Prescribing profiles focusing on the number of drugs constituting 90% of the volume (= DU90%) and the adherence to local drug committee guideline within this segment were presented for the prescribers. The credibility and usefulness of the method was evaluated by a questionnaire.
Result: Among the PHCs, the total number of drugs prescribed varied between 358 and 674. The number of drugs in the DU90%-segment varied between 117 and 194. The adherence to guideline within this segment varied between 56% and 74% and increased over time. The prescribers found the DU90%-profiles clear and relevant and considered the method to be a useful tool for improving the quality of drug prescribing.
Conclusion: Providing DU90%-profiles with guideline adherence as feedback was shown to be a valuable tool in general practice for assessing the overall quality in prescribing and to form the basis for more disease- or patient-specific analyses.