OBJECTIVE: To analyse the potential saving in pharmaceutical expenditure which the use of drug products of the same composition and lower price would suppose, by three high-consumption therapeutic sub-groups. DESIGN: Retrospective observation study. SETTING: Primary care. PARTICIPANTS: All the medical prescriptions of the doctors in the 121 primary care health districts in the three provinces of the Autonomous Community of Aragon during 1997, divided into the sub-groups: peptic ulcer (AO2B), lipid-lowering (B04A) and hypotensor drugs (C02). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Consumption, cost of treatment per day and potential saving of eight active principles belonging to these 3 sub-groups were calculated. Potential overall saving reached the figure of 972 million pesetas in Aragon in 1997. CONCLUSIONS: The alternative of prescribing drugs with an identical composition and lower price offers great potential savings in pharmaceutical expenditure, and may be a useful measure to improve the efficiency of health resources, and in particular those devoted to drug prescription.
OBJECTIVE: To analyse the potential saving in pharmaceutical expenditure which the use of drug products of the same composition and lower price would suppose, by three high-consumption therapeutic sub-groups. DESIGN: Retrospective observation study. SETTING: Primary care. PARTICIPANTS: All the medical prescriptions of the doctors in the 121 primary care health districts in the three provinces of the Autonomous Community of Aragon during 1997, divided into the sub-groups: peptic ulcer (AO2B), lipid-lowering (B04A) and hypotensor drugs (C02). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Consumption, cost of treatment per day and potential saving of eight active principles belonging to these 3 sub-groups were calculated. Potential overall saving reached the figure of 972 million pesetas in Aragon in 1997. CONCLUSIONS: The alternative of prescribing drugs with an identical composition and lower price offers great potential savings in pharmaceutical expenditure, and may be a useful measure to improve the efficiency of health resources, and in particular those devoted to drug prescription.