Randomised controlled trial for evaluating the prescribing impact of information meetings led by pharmacists and of new information formats in General Practice in Italy: INFANT 2

INTERVENTION: Three groups of single physicians will be provided with one of the following: 1. One information meeting led by a pharmacist and supported by a bulletin developed ad hoc 2. One information meeting led by a pharmacist and supported by information already available (e.g., from the Italian translation of Medical Letter, or the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin [DTB], etc) 3. No intervention The information meetings will last half to one hour. The process described above will be repeated a second time with different topics, so that the number of comparisons and indicators is doubled and more qualitative and quantitative data are available. CONDITION: Information to physicians ; Not Applicable ; Physician training PRIMARY OUTCOME: Difference (%) in NHS prescription of drugs under scrutiny (expressed as Defined Daily Dose [DDD] per thousand inhabitants/day), comparing those who have/ have not received the specific information.; ; Prescriptions within six months after the intervention will be evaluated. SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Difference in the % of patients who were prescribed the specific drug(s) ; 2. Difference in the % of patients who were prescribed the specific drug(s) for the first time (in the previous 12 months); 3. Difference in expenditure for the specific drug (per 1000 patients/day); 4. Difference in NHS prescription of drugs under scrutiny (expressed as DDD per thousand inhabitants/day), comparing those who have received the ?traditional? versus ?enriched? format, and any information versus no information ; 5. Differences in the main and secondary outcomes according to the number of assisted population in the related PCG ; 6. Adjusted difference in prescribed DDD per 1000 patients/day according to a statistical model, considering as possible covariates: ; 6.1. Overall prescription in DDD per 1000 patients day at baseline; 6.2. Number of assisted population; 6.3. Geographical location (mountain, hill, plain, urban centre ? according to definitions given by the Italian Statistics Institute); 6.4. Age distribution of assisted population (in quartiles); 6.5. % females in the assisted population; 6.6. Physician age; 6.7. Total physician drug expenditure (excluding drugs under scrutiny); 6.8. % assisted population with polyprescription (greater than or equal to three drugs of different classes); 6.9. Number of new prescriptions (in the last 12 months); 6.10. Month of evaluation; 6.11. Participation to the information meetings; 6.12. % exact answers to the questionnaire testing knowledge; 7. Difference in knowledge (measured through the number of correct answers to a specific questionnaire) ; 8. Difference in attitudes (measured through the answers to a specific anonymous questionnaire); ; Prescriptions within six months after the intervention will be evaluated. INCLUSION CRITERIA: All GPs are eligible, provided that their Local Health Authority has an organised system for tracking their prescriptions made within the Italian National Heath Service (NHS) till the 5th Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) level, in order to evaluate these prescriptions and to provide doctors with feedback.