The effects of a postgraduate course on opioid-prescribing patterns of general practitioners

Background. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether a single pal liative cancer care workshop, which included information about drug prescri bing, had an effect oil the opioid-prescription patterns of general practit ioners in daily practice. Method. The opioid-prescription figures of 68 gen eral practitioners who had participated in the workshop were aggregated fro m the computer system of the Regional Sick Fund. The prescription figures o f a year before and a year after the workshop were compared and a control g roup of non-participants was included. Results. This study showed a limited efficacy of a palliative cancer care workshop oil the morphine-prescriptio n figures of the general practitioners in daily practice. This limited effe ct did not accord with the results of a pre- and post-workshop questionnair e evaluating the attitudes of the same practitioners. Conclusion. A single workshop can not effectuate substantial changes in prescription behaviors. Possibilities for more reinforcements are discussed.