Hormone replacement therapy: Why are general practitioners not prescribing more?

Abstract

Recent statistics suggest hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is prescribed by only a small number of general practitioners (GPs), despite its use being widely discussed and advocated in the literature. In March 1997, we sent a questionnaire to 200 randomly selected practices in the south Birmingham area to try to find the reason. Eighty-one (40.5%) completed questionnaires were returned from 57 (70%) male and 24 (30%) female GPs respectively. Seventy (86.4%) claimed they actively prescribed HRT as a prophylaxis for osteoporosis; 76% felt doctors were well informed about the risks and benefits of HRT. However, male and female GP opinions differed as to the most effective duration of HRT use. Comparison of the ethnic backgrounds of male prescribers and non-prescribers revealed significant differences, and the ethnic group predominating in the catchment areas of prescribers and non-prescribers was also different.