[Identification of some characteristics of Primary Health Care physicians that influence pharmaceutical costs]

Abstract

Objective: Aging and medicalisation are leading to a progressive growth in pharmaceutical expenditure, which is difficult to measure. It is important to develop social studies of this drug spending in order to support the policies of containment. The aim of this study is to identify elements that influence pharmaceutical expenditure of Primary Care physicians in the Health Area of Cuenca (Spain).

Material and methods: A retrospective observational study using multilevel models of pharmaceutical expenditures by physicians between 2006 and 2009. It took into account the particular characteristics of each doctor and their patients.

Results: The average pharmaceutical expenditure by doctor and patient was € 277.13 year. In addition, a one-point of increase in the rate of referrals to specialised care increases pharmaceutical expenditure by 2.97 € per year and an increase in the percentage of generic drugs prescribed reduced in 2.54 € per year. These two variables and the percentage of retired patients (pensioners) are the most important factors to explain the variability in pharmaceutical expenditure. In contrast, the characteristics of physicians such as education, tenure, seniority, or age does not influence pharmaceutical costs.

Conclusions: This study supports the importance of developing interventions in prescription policies. It will be of particular interest to those physicians with higher quotas of elderly patients. It also shows a significant relationship in pharmaceutical expenditures between primary and specialist physicians, which needs to be clarified by future studies.