Physician Prescription Error Frequency Linked to Location

In the Alexandria, LA referral region, 44% of elderly beneficiaries received high risk medications but in the Bronx referral area, only 11.4% were prescribed these medications.

The measures used to evaluate sound prescribing practices were drawn from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS.)

Category 2:

The second category of the study  details in outpatient settings, the rates at which physicians prescribed certain medications that have potentially harmful drug-disease interactions. For example, tricyclic antidepressants are considered harmful in older adults with dementia and who have a history of hip fracture, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are considered harmful for seniors with chronic renal failure.

Overall, the areas with the worst prescribing practices were Jonesboro, AR and Amarillo, TX. The best were Rochester, MN and Santa Cruz, CA.