Who prescribes drugs to patients: A Danish register-based study

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Abstract

We describe the distribution of prescriber types responsible for issuing prescriptions in Denmark. Using a 20% random sample of all Danes alive during 2000–2018 (n = 1 515 025) and all their prescriptions filled at community pharmacies (n = 182 143 707), we found that general practitioners issued 88% of all prescriptions, followed by hospital physicians (7.4%) and private practicing specialists (4.2%). These values were stable over the study period. With increasing patient age, general practitioners were responsible for a larger proportion of prescriptions (e.g. 68% for patients aged 0–17 y and 89% for patients ≥51 y). General practitioners were responsible for 84% of all treatment initiation (first prescription) and 90% of all maintenance treatment. Corresponding values for hospital physicians were 9.5 and 6.3%, and for private practicing specialists 5.3 and 3.6%. In conclusion, general practitioners are responsible for the vast majority of prescribing in Denmark, including both treatment initiation and continuation, in particular among the elderly.

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APA

Pottegård, A., Olesen, M., Christensen, B., Christensen, M. B., Hallas, J., & Rasmussen, L. (2021). Who prescribes drugs to patients: A Danish register-based study. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87(7), 2982–2987. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14691

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