Study of a policy to minimise the prescription of medicaments at first attendance at chest clinics.
Krishnaswami, K.V.; Abdul Rahim, M.; Satagopan, M.C.; Tripathy, S.P.; Radhakrishna, S.; P.R., Somasundaram.; Wallace Fox.
Lancet; 1982; 483-486.
In chest clinics in Madras, South India, medicaments are prescribed to many patients at the first clinic attendance, whether necessary on medical grounds or not, in the belief that this practice will increase the likelihood of the patients subsequently reattending the clinic. This study of 2608 patients in four chest clinics showed that the proportion prescribed medicaments ranged from 50% to 75%. Subsequently, a modified policy of prescribing medicaments only when they were medically essential was investigated in 956 patients in the largest of these clinics. The policy was found to be practicable, and it did not have any adverse consequences such as an increased rate of default or an unacceptable level of patients dissatisfaction. The advantages of the new policy are savings in money, man-power, and time and the potential for a reduction in the incidence of side-effects.
Back to List of publications / Home |