Information to physicians Not Applicable Physician training
Conditions
Interventions
Both the intervention and control groups will have information meetings led by a pharmacist on one specific topic versus another topic, both supported by a drug bulletin developed ad hoc. The prescrip
Sponsors
Italian Drug Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco [AIFA])
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: PCGs are defined as small groups, ranging from about 10 to 20 General Practitioners (GPs) and assisting about 8,000 to 25,000 people in a defined area. A general rule is to include PCGs with less than or equal to 20 physicians.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: PCGs with more than 20 physicians (not a strict criterion, but justification will be needed).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Difference (%) in NHS prescription of drugs under scrutiny (expressed as Defined Daily Dose [DDD] per thousand inhabitants/day), comparing those who have/ have not received the specific information. Prescriptions within six months after the intervention will be evaluated. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Difference in the % of patients who were prescribed the specific drug(s) 2. Difference in the % of patients who were prescribed the specific drug(s) for the first time (in the previous 12 months) 3. Difference in expenditure for the specific drug (per 1000 patients/day) 4. Differences in the main and secondary outcomes in each of the regions involved 5. Differences in the main and secondary outcomes according to the number of assisted population in the related PCG 6. Differences in the main and secondary outcomes according to the terziles of physicians age 7. Adjusted difference in prescribed DDD per 1000 patients/day according to a statistical model, considering as possible covariates: 7.1. Overall prescription in DDD per 1000 patients day at baseline 7.2. Number of physicians in the specific PCGs 7.3. Number of assisted population 7.4. Region (Emilia-Romagna or Friuli Venezia Giulia) 7.5. Geographical location (mountain, hill, plain, urban centre ? according to definitions given by the Italian Statistics Institute) 7.6. Age distribution of assisted population (in quartiles) 7.7. % females in the assisted population 7.8. Physician age 7.9. Total physician drug expenditure (excluding drugs under scrutiny) 7.10. % assisted population with polyprescription (greater than or equal to three drugs of different classes) 7.11. Number of new prescriptions (in the last 12 months) 7.12. Month of evaluation 7.13. Participation to the information meetings 7.14. % exact answers to the questionnaire testing knowledge 8. Difference in the variability (expressed as standard deviations) of prescription of drugs under scrutiny within PCGs 9. Difference in knowledge (measured through the number of correct answers to a specific questionnaire) 10. Difference in attitudes (measured through the answers to a specific anonymous questionnaire) Prescriptions within six months after the intervention will be evaluated. | — |
Countries
Italy
Outcome results
None listed