Does indirect consultation lead to overprescribing in general practice?

Indirect consultations (by telephone or receptionist) are of increasing importance in general practice and may result in more prescribing than during direct (face to face)-consultations. We analysed prescribing data for 14,660 disorders, presented in one week in 52 general practices. In general, a significant, but hardly relevant increase in prescribing during indirect consultations was observed. The effect varies strongly for different disorders and was especially relevant for repeat-prescriptions for the following conditions: musculoskeletal- and connective tissue diseases, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disorders and disorders of the female genital tract.