[Influencing the prescriptions of general practitioners via guidelines and feedback--secondary publication].

We investigated the effects of a multi-dimensional intervention on practice prescription patterns in five drug groups. The number of prescribed defined daily doses (DDDs) increased after the intervention, while potential savings/DDD decreased. The county's average cost/DDD fell to a level below the national average.

Changing GPs' prescription patterns through guidelines and feedback. Intervention study.

Purpose: To investigate whether and how a multi-dimensional intervention including clinical guidelines on the choice of medical treatment in the primary and the secondary health care sector, and individual feedback to general practices about their own and other practices' prescription patterns in five Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system (ATC)-groups was followed by changes in the practices' prescription pattern.

Methods: Prospective historical registry study and a questionnaire study of GPs' self-reported use of guidelines and feedback.

Results: In every ATC-group the number of prescribed defined daily doses (DDDs) kept growing after the intervention, while potential savings by DDD decreased.