ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 7

Background Characteristics of Judicious and Injudicious Prescribers in New Jersey
Weikel, CV
Associate professor of clinical family practice, professor of psychiatry, and secretary, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine, NJ

Steer, RA
Associate professor of clinical family practice, professor of psychiatry, and secretary, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine, NJ

Vilensky, W
Associate professor of clinical family practice, professor of psychiatry, and secretary, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine, NJ

(Received 24 December 1985; accepted 18 March 1986)

Abstract

Six background characteristics of 79 male physicians found by the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners to have indiscriminately prescribed Schedule II medications from 1979 through 1983 were compared with those same characteristics estimated for 10 397 physicians not reported to have indiscriminately prescribed Schedule II medications during 1979. Doctors of osteopathy (D.O.s) had a rate of injudiciously prescribing Schedule II drugs approximately 3.5 times that of medical doctors (M.D.s), and separate analyses, by type of physician, were thus conducted. However, the D.O.s who were members of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) were approximately 4.25 times less likely to be injudicious prescribers than those who were not AOA members. Age, location, and graduation from a foreign medical school were found to differentiate injudicious M.D. prescribers. The implications of the results for developing continuing medical education programs for physicians are discussed.

Keywords:
psychiatry, medical personnel, prescribers

Paper ID: JFS12343J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12343J
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