A single, short educational session to primary care doctors can improve their prescribing standards during long periods of > or = 9 months. Of the 2 strategies followed in the trial, one-to-one education has shown to be the most effective. Results also show that the effectiveness of these interventions increases when presented together with written material.

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We conclude that, although doctors prescribe in accordance with what they believe their patients expect, in practice patients exert no influence on drug prescribing because their prescription expectations are misconstrued by doctors, who overestimate them.

The results of this study suggest that physicians attach little importance to prescription efficiency. Thus, to decrease avoidable cost produced by not prescribing a cheaper equivalent drug, the medical curriculum should be modified to ensure that is contents reflect national health priorities and current resources.

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