Pharmaceutical Waste Reduction Strategies

Commit publicly to avoid inappropriate prescribing

Healthcare providers make personal and public commitments not to issue prescriptions unless medically indicated.

Reduces Amount: Yes
Reduces Toxicity: No

Examples of Applying this Strategy

Generic Drug: ALL antibiotics

Displaying poster-sized commitment letters in examination rooms decreased inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections. The effect of this simple, low-cost intervention is comparable in magnitude to costlier, more intensive quality-improvement efforts. Rand External Publication EP-51716 http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP51716.html

Proprietary Drug(s): ALL antibiotics
Delivery Method(s): Oral Liquid

For more information:

Meeker, Daniella, et al..

Daniella Meeker, et al.
RAND Corporation
Santa Monica, CA,
USA

Phone: (310) 393-0411, x7675
Email: Daniella_Meeker@rand.org


Additional Resources

Meeker, Daniella. Nudging Guideline-Concordant Antibiotic Prescribing: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, v. 174, no. 3, Mar. 2014, p. 425-431
http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP51716.html