Developing a practice formulary as a byproduct of computer controlled repeat prescribing.

We use our office computer to record and issue repeat prescriptions. Each month we look at a printout to see how many times a drug has been prescribed, with the goal of limiting our practice formulary. We have reduced by more than 10% the range of drugs that we use in the practice and have the possibility of knowing dose ranges, actions, interactions, and side effects of all the drugs used in the practice.