Individual Counseling To Private Physicians Concerning Their Prescription Habits. A German Experience

In order counteract ever-increasing prescription costs over the last few years combined with the precarious financial state of the health insurance fund of the German Land , Mecklembourg-Pomerany, the minister of social affairs, the health insurance fund and the Union of physicians contracting with the Land came to an agreement. The aim was to contain costs while guaranteeing that prescriptions remained of the highest quality. In order to accomplish this goal, the concerned players developed a common program of counseling and information directed at improving the prescription habits of private physicians. Beforehand, a pharmacy data bank (PLATO) had to be developed, permitting an analysis of the many aspects of the pharmacy prescriptions reimbursed by the health insurance fund. The article presents the preliminary results of this counseling and information-sharing initiative.