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Table 2 Correlation between number of prescribing objectives adhered to and factors investigated in the questionnaire

From: Characteristics of primary health care units with focus on drug information from the pharmaceutical industry and adherence to prescribing objectives: a cross-sectional study

 

Number of prescribing objectives adhered to median (25th-75th percentile)

P-value

 

Yes

No

 

Size of the unit

NA

NA

0.14

Physician as head of the unit

2.5 (1-3.25)

1 (0-2)

0.013

Temporary physicians

1 (0-2)

2 (1-3)

0.051

Drug information from the pharmaceutical industry

1 (0-2)

3.5 (2.25-4.75)

0.005

Producer-independent drug information

2 (1-3)

0

0.043

Education on prescribing for newly employed physicians

1 (0-2)

3 (1.5-4)

0.034

  1. The total of six prescribing objectives concerned PPIs (proportion of generic omeprazol), ACEIs (proportion ACEI of ACEIs and angiotensin receptor blockers [ARBs]), statins (proportion of generic simvastatin), and antidepressants (proportion selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRI] of antidepressants, proportion non-escitalopram of SSRIs and proportion generic mirtazapin of mirtazapins). The arbitrarily defined appropriate adherence levels to the prescribing objectives were set to 80%, 70%, 80%, 75%, 95% and 98% of the prescribed and dispensed DDDs, respectively.
  2. ACEI, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; DDD, defined daily dose; NA, not applicable; PPI, proton pump inhibitor; SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor