Drug prescribing: Patterns, problems and proposals

The focus of this paper is on physicians as gatekeepers to public access to prescribed drugs. Variations in drug prescription and consumption are examined and the factors associated with varying factors of prescribing are discussed. We look at models of the prescribing process and assess their comparative merits. The paper concludes with a consideration of the priorities that need to be taken into account when planning future research of which nine possible key questions are proposed.