[Analysis of opinions, attitudes and knowledge of physicians of health centers of Valencia concerning efficacy and efficiency of drug prescriptions].

OBJECTIVE

To find the views, attitudes and knowledge of Primary Care doctors concerning the efficacy and efficiency of medical prescription.

DESIGN

Descriptive, crossover study.

SETTING

10 Health Centres in the city of Valencia.

PARTICIPANTS

The 115 doctors, both general and family practitioners, working at these centres.

INTERVENTIONS

A survey gathered information on the doctors' views about the appropriateness of considering price when prescribing, on their assessment of ten strategies aimed at improving prescription efficiency, and their understanding of the efficacy and cost of certain medicines used in Primary Care.

RESULTS

1. 81% of those surveyed stated that prescription costs had to be considered at the moment of deciding patient treatment. 2. 70.4% of their opinions of the efficacy of medicines, as measured by the Intrinsic Therapeutic Value, were accurate. 3. 41% of the prices estimated by doctors were correct. There was a tendency to undervalue prices and to eliminate differences between products of identical composition. 4. In the area of strategies to improve prescription efficiency, doctors clearly favoured training strategies (prescription guidelines or in-work training) over strategies involving "assuming economic risks" (pharmacy self-management...).