Intended for healthcare professionals

Letters

Doctors are not pressured into giving prescriptions

BMJ 1998; 316 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.316.7135.938 (Published 21 March 1998) Cite this as: BMJ 1998;316:938
  1. James D Ramsden, Senior house officer in surgery,
  2. F Russell Quinn, Senior house officer in medicine,
  3. Miles Witham, Senior house officer in medicine
  1. Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LJ
  2. Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G4 0SF
  3. Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD

    EDITOR—From their study of general practices in Australia, Cockburn and Pit suggested that patients who expect a prescription are more likely to be given one by their doctor.1 We found similar results in an unpublished study that looked at all consultations in five Oxford general practices over one week in 1994. Questionnaires were given to patients before consultation to ascertain age, sex, and whether …

    View Full Text

    Log in

    Log in through your institution

    Subscribe

    * For online subscription