Providers as preservers: Attitudes toward aspects of prescribing and their relationship to management of hypertension in the elderly

Included in the survey of providers in the preceding paper were measures of attitudes toward drugs and prescribing in the care of elderly patients. Major differences were noted in use of literature and industry sources of drug information between physicians and nonphysician providers as well as differences in patient education regarding drugs with nonphysicians showing a tendency to provide information on drug therapy more frequently than physicians. A general over-all concern for lack of quality in prescribing was not shown to be related to the more specific concerns of adverse drug reactions and excessive prescribing to the elderly. There were indications of effect of setting on drug attitudes, and future research efforts should direct attention to the multi-dimensional nature of the concern for quality in prescribing as well as differences related to type of setting and practice.