| Title: | The clinical and cost-effectiveness of issuing longer versus shorter duration (3 month vs. 28 day) prescriptions for prescribed medication in patients with stable, chronic conditions |
| Project Description: | In the NHS, general practitioners (GPs) have been encouraged to issue prescriptions of shorter duration (28 days) to reduce drug expenditure and wastage. As a result, this may reduce some healthcare costs and help GPs keep track of patients’ responses to medication. There are, however, some studies that show that shorter prescriptions may also increase costs to the NHS through increased GP workload and dispensing fees. In addition, it is uncertain how prescription length affects patients’ health and satisfaction. For example, there is some evidence from the UK that patients with chronic conditions prefer longer prescriptions to shorter ones. Overall, the consequences of longer and shorter prescriptions for patients with chronic diseases, and the health system, need to be reviewed.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of shorter versus longer (i.e. 28-day versus 3 month) prescriptions on patients with chronic stable conditions, and the health care system. It will consist of a review of all available evidence on the subject, as well as a model to estimate costs. The results will be published in an open-access online journal, Health Technology Assessement, and made publicly available for patients, practitioners and policy makers. |
| Project organisation | |
| Start date: | 1st September 2015 |
| End date: | 31st March 2017 |
| Contact person: | Dr Ed Wilson |
| Contact Details: | Primary Care Unit Institute of Public Health University Forvie Site, Robinson Way Cambridge Cambs CB2 0SR UK Telephone: tba Fax: 01223 762515 E-mail: ed.wilson@medschl.cam.ac.uk |
| Collaborative: | RAND Europe |
| Funding information | |
| Funding Organisation: | NIHR HTA (Health Technology Assessment) |
| Funding Reference: | |
| Funding Amount: | £133,517 |
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| Further Information, References and Publications | |