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Journal articles
Prescribing patterns for upper respiratory tract infections in general practice in France and in the Netherlands
Abstract : Background : France and the Netherlands are often presented as two contrasting countries with regard to drug prescriptions and consumption. This study Aim :ed to analyse general practitioners' (GP's) prescription patterns for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). METHODS: Data on diagnoses and prescriptions were derived from two databases recording daily electronic medical patient files: the 'Société Française de Médecine Générale' database (SFMG-DB) and the Dutch Landelijk Informatie Netwerk Huisatsenzorg database (LINH-DB). Logit regression models were developed to estimate and compare prescription patterns in both countries. We carried out a study including all the patients consulting for URTI in 2003. RESULTS: French GPs had more URTI patients than their Dutch counterparts (372.1 URTI patients/GP versus 181.3). They prescribed higher volumes of URTI medications (3.55 per patient/year versus 0.82). Striking differences were observed in analgesic and symptomatic prescriptions (0.84 per patient/year versus 0.12 and 1.01 per patient/year versus 0.21, respectively). We did not observe important discrepancies in volume of antibiotic prescriptions (0.29 per patient/year in France versus 0.32). After adjustment for patient characteristics, the logit model showed that prescription patterns for antibiotic were quite similar and associated with a diagnosis of acute tonsillitis. CONCLUSION: The analysis per consultation in this study did not highlight important differences in antibiotic prescribing volumes and patterns. But symptomatic and analgesic prescriptions were significantly higher in the French database. This can be explained by differences in help-seeking behaviour, medication perception, status of OTC medications and remuneration system.
Keywords :
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Analgesics
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Drug Prescriptions
Drug Utilization
Family Practice
Female
France
Guideline Adherence
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Netherlands
Physician's Practice Patterns
Respiratory Tract Infections
Sex Factors
Tonsillitis
https://hal-cnrs.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03476944
Contributor : Colette Orange Connect in order to contact the contributor
Submitted on : Monday, December 13, 2021 - 11:40:00 AM
Last modification on : Wednesday, December 15, 2021 - 2:26:01 PM
Contributor : Colette Orange Connect in order to contact the contributor
Submitted on : Monday, December 13, 2021 - 11:40:00 AM
Last modification on : Wednesday, December 15, 2021 - 2:26:01 PM
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