Awareness of the cost of psychotropic medication among doctors: a service evaluation

Aims and method Cost-effective prescribing is an increasingly important aspect of our practice. A service evaluation was carried out to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of different aspects of cost-effective prescribing among doctors working in the North East London Foundation Trust. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to benchmark knowledge against six standards. Results The survey was completed by 71% of doctors working in adult or old age psychiatry. A total of 2% of doctors stated that they should always take into consideration the price of the drug when prescribing and only 5% of doctors claimed to know the price of medications they prescribe most frequently. Clinical implications Strategies to improve the poor level of knowledge and awareness in this area of clinical practice would be of benefit in making the best use of limited financial resources without any detriment to patient care.