[The impact of an intervention strategy in the prescription of generic drugs in a primary care area].

Objective: To examine the effects of specific interventions on generic prescribing in general practices.

Design: Non randomized controlled study.

Setting: General practices in 2 health areas of Madrid.

Participants: 5 general practices (intervention group) and 5 general practices (control group).

Interventions: In 1994, intervention group received monthly educational seminars on generic drugs and computer-produced prescribing feedback. The control group received not seminars and not feedback. Prescription monitoring of both groups continued during 1994.

Measurements And Main Results: Area factor before and during intervention, and intervention factor for both areas (control and intervention) related with prescribing volume and costs of generics were analysis. Prescribing volume of generics in the intervention group was significantly greater than for control group (p < 0.01) by both area and intervention factors. Prescribing costs of generics in the intervention group was significantly greater for control group (p < 0.05) by area factor but both groups were significantly different by intervention factor.

Conclusion: Educational seminars and feedback information on generics improve generic prescribing but it should be evaluated for broader areas of physicians on prescribing costs.