The influence of specialists on prescribing by GPs. A qualitative study.

Objective: To investigate specialists' influence on prescribing by general practitioners.

Method: A focus group study of 35 GPs.

Setting: Hunter Urban Division of General Practice, New South Wales.

Randomised controlled trial of pantoprazole versus ranitidine for the treatment of uninvestigated heartburn in primary care.

Objectives: To investigate whether pantoprazole (20 mg/d) produces significantly greater symptom control than ranitidine (300 mg/d) in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

Design: Multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group comparison.

Setting: 76 general practices in north-west Sydney and Newcastle, New South Wales (Australia), from 19 January 1999 to 22 September 2000.