RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To identify the effect of the provider company (PC) of reference on drug prescriptions in nursing homes. METHODS: We performed a descriptive study of all ambulatory prescriptions invoiced by the Catalan Health Service from 106 nursing homes in a health region in 2001. The PCs were grouped into private (n = 23; 1,158 residents) and public (n = 83; 3,163 residents). A system of evaluating quantitative, qualitative and relative use indicators was established according to therapeutic group or active principles. RESULTS: Expenditure in the nursing homes was Euro 7.7 million, representing 6.3% of that generated by the PCs. The results obtained show differences in expenditure per resident, which amounted to Euro 1,601.56 +/- 317.20 in the private sector and Euro 1,843.49 +/- 516.56 in the public sector (p = 0.000). The percentage spent on drugs of high intrinsic value was 89.0 and 82.9% (p = 0.043), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the study's limitations, the results should be generalized with caution. The volume of prescriptions in nursing homes was high. Moderate cost containment and a relative improvement in the quality of prescriptions in private PCs were observed.
