Prescription Drug Costs in Primary and Secondary Care UK Dissertation

Prescription Drug Costs in Primary and Secondary Care UK - Dissertation Example the negative value of the mean indicates that generally, the NHS drug tariff prices for the generic drugs are substantially higher than the prevailing retail market price for the branded drugs. The results of the paired samples t-test also showed that there were no significant difference on the costs of generic drugs based on the prices indicated in the NHS drug tariff and the prevailing retail market prices for the branded drugs. This result is absurd because in majority of the drugs considered in this t-test, the generic prices are generally higher than the branded medicines. This finding, however corroborates the results of Kanavos (2007) that the NHS is reimbursing the pharmacies significantly higher than the actual acquisition cost dispensed by the pharmacies. 16 Table 5. Distribution of Branded NHS Drugs with no Generic Equivalent 17 Table 6. Distribution of Generic NHS Drugs with no Branded Equivalent 17 4.4. Comparison of free prescriptions between England and Wales 23 4.5. T he issue of over-prescribing by UK General Practitioners 26 4.7. Wastage of prescription drugs 31 5.0. Results and Implications 33 5.1. Summary of findings 33 5.2. Implications for health care 35 While over-prescribing of drugs appear to be forced choices by physicians who are limited to prescribing only drugs approved for inclusion in the designated PCT formularies, the ramifications of the practice are brought to bear not only on the national coffers, but also on the risk of patients’ illness progressing in severity either because they are overwhelmed of the multiplicity of their medications or simply choose not to adhere to the regimen for whatever reason. Overprescribing also leads to drug wastage. Another implication of overprescribing is becoming more dangerous for large populations... Any drug has its own benefit – risk ratio. As enunciated by Brekenbridge. It is high time that people realise that medication is not all on the benefit side, as â€Å"there is no such thing as a free lunch with drugs† (Brekenbridge, as cited in Laurance, 2011. Drugs need to be taken as instructed, no more, no less. Over-prescribing is definitely out of the question. It should be all academic at this point that over-prescribing catalyses many repercussions, including higher risk of more serious illness, drug wastage, draining the NHS budget, illegal drug trade, and worst, morbidity and mortality. In this regard, continuing professional education for doctors, especially in drug pharmacology should be a fixed installation in the human resources development programme of NHS. Meanwhile, generic substitution seem to be a promising option for doctors to help save on drug expenditures. However, block decisions for generic substitution of branded medication should not be resorte d to. This matter is not a one-size fits all. Decisions should always be evidenced-based and done with the best interest of patients in mind. While there are cases where generic drugs are comparable in efficacy with their branded precursors, there are also generic drugs which compare poorly with branded medicines. Physicians who prescribe generics should always be on the lookout for non-performing substitutes.

Law and Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law and Behavior - Essay Example The emphasis is on law, with the psychologists being used by the lawyers to enhance their operations. For instance if it is claimed that the person who has been accused is mentally unstable, the psychologist will be asked to give his expert opinion on this. He or she will have to carry out an analysis including psychological tests so as to come up with a conclusion on the person's mental state. A criminal lawyer can use the theories of psychology so as to enhance his or her trial strategy (Ogloff and Schuller 1998). The main focus is on how the legal system can prepare and adapt to the inclusion of psychologists in the law and in the legal system. The psychologists should also find ways of changing their work so as to meet the needs and requirements of the legal system. Forensic psychologists have used it for a long period of time in the United States and it is only recently that the lawyers acknowledged their relevance in the execution of justice (Kapardis 2003). Psychology and law interrelate in many ways and can benefit each other. Psychology can give better understanding of the behavior of criminals and sometimes it can show how a person can be rehabilitated. Psychologists may help the criminal lawyers because they assist in the selection of people who are suitable for acting as the jury. They are also a part of the analysis and presentation of evidence and arguments brought to the courts. Such matters like criminal law, procedures, insanity defense, decreased capacity, competency for trial relies a lot on the contributions of a qualified psychologist. The execution of law has been improved largely by the work of psychologists (Sherman & Hoffman 2007). Law and Psychology are two fields that have various contrasting fundamentals. According to Ogloff and Schuller, law is stare deices, while psychology is based on creativity. In law there are past cases and precedents, which are used as a foundation for the development of the legal arguments. The judges even make the rulings according to the legal precedents that were made years before. In contrast, the model adopted in psychology is one of innovation and creativity. Thus psychologists are encouraged to use new ways and ideas in their research and in dealing with their patients (Ogloff and Schuller 1998). While law is hierarchical, psychology is empirical. The decisions in the legal system are hierarchical and authoritative. The lower courts are constrained by the rulings of the higher courts. On the other hand, psychology is the accumulation of consistent and supporting data. The data derived is used to confirm whether a claim or position is valid or not. It is not based on an authoritative statement. (Ogloff and Schuller 1998) The law is reliant on the adversarial methods but psychology is dependant on experimental techniques. To reach the truth, in law, conflicting viewpoints are presented with each side putting forward its best case. Prejudice and egotism are intrinsic part of law and they are both allowable and encouraged as the best procedures. Psychologists arrive at the truth by trying to understand a certain incident through the use of data gathering techniques. They try to reduce the bias and