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General practice makes a critical contribution to healthcare in Ireland. However, there is a weak understanding of the general practice workforce in Ireland. The aim of this study is to estimate the number of general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses in Ireland. A variety of data sources was used to corroborate counts of general practitioners and practice nurses. Capture–recapture methods were used to estimate the hidden population of GPs not identified by the databases included. There are 2,954 general practitioners in Ireland, equivalent to 64.4 per 100,000 population. There are 1,700 practice nurses nationally, equivalent to 37.1 per 100,000 persons. There is substantial regional variation in the number of general practitioners and practice nurses per 100,000. To some extent, deficits in one discipline may be counterbalanced by a surplus in the other. In the absence of a centralised register, it is not possible to track the number of GPs or practice nurses working in Ireland at present. This is despite the fact that there are twice as many general practice visits per annum compared to hospital visits.

There is no established safe level of alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Studies from Ireland have consistently shown lower abstention and higher binge drinking rates in pregnancy than other countries, indicating a high potential for foetal alcohol-related disorders. There has been little research on alcohol in pregnancy in primary care.To determine the prevalence of alcohol consumption amongst pregnant women attending their GP for antenatal care, and to compare this to use in the year prior to conception.Prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in fifteen teaching practices in the greater Dublin area. Women were recruited at their antenatal visits. Data were gathered by self-completed questionnaire in the practice, or researcher-administered telephone questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on the AUDIT, a WHO-validated data collection instrument designed for use in primary care.Two hundred and forty valid questionnaires were returned (80 % recruitment rate). Alcohol intake and binge drinking levels were much lower during pregnancy compared to the year prior to pregnancy (p0.001). There was a marked reduction in the prevalence of alcohol use in pregnancy compared to previous research. Over 97 % drink no more than once a week, including almost two-thirds of women who abstain totally from alcohol in pregnancy. Non-pregnant Irish women drink alcohol more frequently, and with higher rates of binge drinking, than women of other nationalities.Primary care is a suitable setting to research alcohol use in pregnancy. Alcohol use in pregnancy in Ireland has decreased markedly compared to previous research from this jurisdiction.

The decline in incidence of tuberculosis in Ireland has led Peamount Hospital to reconfigure its services towards the needs of general practice.To ascertain views of local GPs on their current use of Peamount, and how the hospital might best serve their future needs.Self-administered postal questionnaires sent to 151 GPs practicing in Peamount's catchment area, to determine their current use of services, and likely future use of proposed services. Total valid response rate 64% (n = 84).Responses indicated a lack of awareness of many services currently available, with a concomitant under-use of these services. The majority of GPs would use planned future services, particularly expanded radiology services.This survey promoted awareness among GPs of services available at Peamount. It informed the planning of future services and promoted a culture of involving local GPs in the planning of services of which they will be the users.

Seven percent of acute hospital admissions result from adverse drug reactions, of which 25% are due to drug interactions. Adverse effects of statin drugs occur in 3% of patients, mainly due to co-prescribing with other lipid-lowering agents or agents that alter their metabolism.The aim of this study was to investigate co-prescribing of the frequently-used statin medications with interacting drugs.Data from the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme of the Eastern Health Board from January to December 1998 were used in this study. Using the coding index for statins, co-prescribing was identified when concomitant medications were administered under the same GMS claim number.Of 7,602 patients prescribed statins, co-prescribing of simvastatin, atorvastatin and fluvastatin with competing substrates or inhibitors of their metabolism occurred in 32, 26 and 13.4% of prescriptions issued. Thirty-four per cent of patients on simvastatin, 28% on atorvastatin and 16% on fluvastatin were prescribed medications with drug interaction potential.Co-prescribing of statins with competing substrates or inhibitors of their metabolism occurred in up to one-third of prescriptions issued. When statins are co-prescribed with recognised inhibitors of drug metabolism, pravastatin, which does not undergo significant hepatic metabolism, is the statin of choice.

There is mounting information on the factors which affect iron availability. Given that the total amount of iron supplied by a meal is only one of these factors, its assessment alone is a poor indicator of the adequacy of a diet with respect to iron. A model which estimates the availability of dietary iron, has been applied to the diets of 105 predominantly low socio-economic group females. The prevalence of iron deficient intakes was greater when the availability of dietary iron was calculated than was observed by an assessment of total iron intake.

THE aim of this study has been to develop a multivariate model relating certain socio-maternal factors to choice of feeding method in a maternity hospital in Dublin. Analysis is based on a sample of 9,000 liveborn singletons. Essentially, we found that, as regards the probability of a mother choosing to breast feed, a declared intention to do so is of primary importance. This in reinforced if the mother is married, is delivering a second or subsequent child, comes from a higher social class category, is older rather than younger and has been working. For these particular data the model performance is satisfactory (Chi-square=56, d.f. = 66; p = 0.8). Appreciating the need to present results in a clear and useful manner, we employ a graphic technique i.e. a decision tree, to represent the output of the regression equation, so greatly simplifying interpretation. Model sensitivity and specificity are described and finally various limitations are discussed.

The results of 874 consecutive teenage mothers delivered in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin during 1979/’80, were compared with an older group of women. Prematurity, stillbirth and 1st week neonatal mortality rates were each higher for the teenage group. Maternal weight gain during pregnancy was less in the younger mothers, and a small (122 grams), but significant difference in the mean birth weights for both groups was observed.