OBJECTIVE: To inventory the similarities and differences of the contents of regional general practice formularies. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: Department of General Practice Medicine, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. METHOD: Through personal contacts and an appeal in the journal Medisch Contact, 14 formularies were acquired. Of these, seven recent, still valid Dutch general practice formularies were compared as to pharmacotherapy and health problems listed. RESULTS: Volume and contents of these seven formularies showed major, inexplicable differences with regard to pharmacotherapy, while the choice of the health problems listed was not argued anywhere, and not based on prevalence figures. CONCLUSION: The regional general practice formularies examined showed little similarity in the drugs and health problems listed.
OBJECTIVE: To inventory the similarities and differences of the contents of regional general practice formularies. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: Department of General Practice Medicine, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. METHOD: Through personal contacts and an appeal in the journal Medisch Contact, 14 formularies were acquired. Of these, seven recent, still valid Dutch general practice formularies were compared as to pharmacotherapy and health problems listed. RESULTS: Volume and contents of these seven formularies showed major, inexplicable differences with regard to pharmacotherapy, while the choice of the health problems listed was not argued anywhere, and not based on prevalence figures. CONCLUSION: The regional general practice formularies examined showed little similarity in the drugs and health problems listed.