Limited list: limited effects?

During the first month after the limited National Health Service drug list came into effect 17 cooperative general practitioners recorded the actions taken when a now prohibited drug would formerly have been prescribed. An average of 6% of direct surgery contacts with patients and 8% of indirect contacts with patients were affected by the new regulations, but in 2% and 4% of cases respectively the patient received the same pharmacological substance under a different (generic or approved) name. Where a real change in pharmacological constitution or formulation had been required four fifths of these substitutes were considered by the doctors to result in less effective treatment. In 1% of contacts no drug was issued or recommended where one would formerly have been given.