OBJECTIVE:To determine the impact of printed patient-specific feedback rega
rding potential misprescribing of antiulcer agents (AUAs). Measures of impa
ct included improvements in patients' dispensing profiles, assessed accordi
ng to predetermined criteria, and decreases in cost and quantity of AUAs di
spensed.
DESIGN: Controlled study. After evaluation for compliance with predetermine
d criteria, prescribers identified as having one or two patient profiles wi
th potential errors were assigned alternatively to control or experimental
groups. An intervention was mailed to the experimental group.
SETTING:Outpatient setting in the New Mexico Medicaid population.
PARTICIPANTS: Patients and prescribers identified as having potential mispr
escribing of AUAs.
INTERVENTION: The intervention consisted of a cover letter describing the p
urpose of the drug utilization review program, an educational fact sheet re
garding prescribing AUAs, patient profiles with potential misprescribing, a
nd physician response forms.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were greater improvements in dispensin
g to patients in the intervention group (chi(2), p < .001). Significant odd
s ratios for the intervention group were 2.29 for AUAs discontinued, 1.98 f
or all improvements combined, 13.13 for improvement in listing of proper di
agnosis for AUAs, and 2.84 for appropriate indication when prescribing the
higher acute daily dosage. Using data from 3 months before and after the in
tervention, we found greater decreases in mean monthly costs (p = .044) and
mean monthly quantity of AUAs dispensed (p = .049) in the intervention gro
up.
CONCLUSIONS: This intervention significantly decreased AUA dispensing to pa
tients whose prescribers were mailed the patient-specific feedback interven
tion.