Surveillance of drug prescribing: why outliers miss their targets – a qualitative study
2025

Understanding Why Some Doctors Miss Drug Prescribing Targets

Sample size: 26 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Gollnick Julia, Zeschick Nikoletta, Hörbrand Franziska, Killian Peter, Sebastiao Maria, Kühlein Thomas, Donner-Banzhoff Norbert

Primary Institution: Philipps-University of Marburg

Hypothesis

What are the reasons physicians miss their drug prescribing targets?

Conclusion

The study reveals that various beliefs and barriers affect physicians' ability to meet drug prescribing targets.

Supporting Evidence

  • Physicians often feel pressured by patient demands for specific drugs.
  • Many physicians lack detailed knowledge about the drug prescribing targets.
  • Some physicians prefer certain drugs due to perceived ease of administration.

Takeaway

Some doctors struggle to meet their medicine prescribing goals because of patient demands and confusion about rules.

Methodology

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with physicians identified as outliers based on their prescribing data.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to self-selection of participants who may be more interested in the topic.

Limitations

The study only included physicians who missed their targets, which may not represent the majority who meet them.

Participant Demographics

{"age":{"41-50 years":6,"51-60 years":17,"> 60 years":3},"sex":{"male":21,"female":5},"practice_location":{"city":5,"smaller_city":18,"countryside":3},"specialisation_group":{"cardiologist":1,"child_and_youth_psychiatrist":1,"gastroenterologist":2,"general_practitioner":3,"haematologist_and_oncologist":2,"neurologist":2,"neurosurgeon":1,"ophthalmologist":1,"orthopaedist":9,"paediatrist_sub_specialisation_rheumatology":2,"surgeon":2}}

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/s12913-024-12189-0

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