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Attitudes towards prescribing cognitive enhancers among primary care physicians in Germany.
- Source :
- BMC Family Practice; 2014, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p3-21, 19p, 3 Charts, 2 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Background Primary care physicians are gate keepers to the medical system having a key role in giving information and prescribing drugs to their patients. In this respect they are involved in claims of patients/ clients for pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement (CE). Therefore, we studied the knowledge of primary care physicians about CE and their attitudes toward prescribing CE drugs to healthy subjects. Methods A self-report paper-and-pencil questionnaire and case vignettes describing a hypothetical CE drug were sent out to all 2,753 registered primary care physicians in Rhineland Palatine, Germany. 832, i.e. 30.2% filled in the questionnaire anonymously. Results 96.0% of all participating physicians had already heard about CE. However, only 5.3% stated to be very familiar with this subject and 43.5% judged themselves as being not familiar with CE. 7.0% had been asked by their clients to prescribe a drug for CE during the last week, 19.0% during the last month, and 40.8% during the last year. The comfort level to prescribe CE drugs was very low and significantly lower than to prescribe sildenafil (Viagra®). Comfort level was mainly affected by the age of the client asking for prescription of CE drugs, followed by the availability of non-pharmacological alternatives, fear of misuse of the prescribed drug by the client and the missing indication of prescribing a drug. Conclusions Although a relatively high proportion of primary care physicians have been asked by their clients to prescribe CE drugs, only a small proportion are well informed about the possibilities of CE. Since physicians are gate keepers to the medical system and have a key role regarding a drugs' prescription, objective information should be made available to physicians about biological, ethical and social consequences of CE use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14712296
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- BMC Family Practice
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 94642507
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-15-3