Table 1 Characteristics of analysed practices
| Â | Intervention | Control |
|---|---|---|
Practices (N (%))* | 1698 | 1703 |
Region | ||
 - Flanders | 912 (53.7) | 919 (54.0) |
 - Wallonia and Brussels | 786 (46.3) | 784 (46.0) |
Province | ||
 - Antwerp | 225 (13.3) | 222 (13.0) |
 - East Flanders | 331 (19.5) | 334 (19.6) |
 - Flemish Brabant | 82 (4.8) | 88 (5.2) |
 - Limburg | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
 - West Flanders | 278 (16.4) | 276 (16.2) |
 - Hainaut | 140 (8.2) | 137 (8.0) |
 - Liege | 198 (11.7) | 191 (11.2) |
 - Luxembourg | 82 (4.8) | 87 (5.1) |
 - Namur | 125 (7.4) | 115 (6.8) |
 - Walloon Brabant | 98 (5.8) | 105 (6.2) |
 - Brussel | 143 (8.4) | 149 (8.7) |
Academic detailer (n = 22) | ||
 - ID: 47 | 104 (6.1) | 109 (6.4) |
 - ID: 59 | 108 (6.4) | 105 (6.2) |
 - ID: 64 | 48 (2.8) | 46 (2.7) |
 - ID: 72 | 26 (1.5) | 77 (4.5) |
 - ID: 77 | 112 (6.6) | 114 (6.7) |
 - ID: 79 | 83 (4.9) | 85 (5.0) |
 - ID: 81 | 103 (6.1) | 100 (5.9) |
 - ID: 82 | 79 (4.7) | 67 (3.9) |
 - ID: 86 | 82 (4.8) | 79 (4.6) |
 - ID: 92 | 151 (8.9) | 154 (9.0) |
 - ID: 96 | 150 (8.8) | 157 (9.2) |
 - ID: 97 | 122 (7.2) | 122 (7.2) |
 - ID: 99 | 84 (4.9) | 83 (4.9) |
 - ID: 100 | 57 (3.4) | 61 (3.6) |
 - ID: 101 | 60 (3.5) | 60 (3.5) |
 - ID: 105 | 163 (9.6) | 163 (9.6) |
 - ID: 114 | 128 (7.5) | 84 (4.9) |
 - Academic detailers replacing randomized academic detailers (ID: 3, 75, 88, 95, 115) | 61 (3.6) | 40 (2.3) |
Age of academic detailer (n = 22) | ||
 - < 40 years (n = 10) | 1018 (60.0) | 997 (58.5) |
 - ≥ 40 years (n = 7) | 609 (35.9) | 593 (34.8) |
- Age unknown at time of analysis (n = 5) | 87 (5.1) | 117 (6.9) |
Education of academic detailer (n = 22) | ||
 - Physician (n = 6) | 457 (26.9) | 459 (27.0) |
 - Non-physician (n = 15) | 1221 (71.9) | 1167 (68.5) |
 - Training unknown at time of analysis (n = 1) | 26 (1.5) | 77 (4.5) |
Number of previous visits (to at least one general practitioner in the practice) | ||
 - 1 | 268 (15.8) | 276 (16.2) |
 - 2 | 229 (13.5) | 225 (13.2) |
 - 3 | 222 (13.1) | 210 (12.3) |
 - 4 | 203 (12.0) | 197 (11.6) |
 - 5 | 214 (12.6) | 221 (13.0) |
 - 6 | 202 (11.9) | 200 (11.7) |
 - 7 | 183 (10.8) | 190 (11.2) |
 - 8 | 150 (8.8) | 151 (8.9) |
 - 9 | 124 (7.3) | 118 (6.9) |
 - 10 | 89 (5.2) | 87 (5.1) |
 - > 10 | 148 (8.7) | 136 (8.0) |
Number of general practitioners in the practice that were visited by Farmaka before | ||
 - 1 | 1397 (82.3) | 1399 (82.1) |
 - 2 | 203 (12.0) | 200 (11.7) |
 - 3 or more | 98 (5.8) | 104 (6.2) |
Number of general practitioners | 2171 | 2163 |
Mean (SD) number of general practitioners per practice | 1 (1) | 1 (1) |
Mean (SD) number of patients (≥ 60 years) per practice | 377 (240) | 373 (242) |
Proportion of reimbursed prescriptions under study | Â | Â |
Analgesics (N02) | 37.9 | 37.9 |
Paracetamol (N02BE01) | 7.5 | 7.7 |
Proton pump inhibitor (A02BC) | 33.1 | 33.2 |
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID; M01A) combined with proton pump inhibitor (A02BC) | 5.4 | 5.3 |
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS; M01A) | 29.0 | 28.8 |
Ibuprofen (M01AE01) | 6.8 | 6.7 |
Naproxen (M01AE02) | 1.7 | 1.6 |
Recommended NSAIDS (M01AE01 or M01AE02) among all NSAIDS | 29.3 | 28.8 |
Tilidine (N02AX01) | 2.6 | 2.6 |
Tramadol (N02AX02) | 9.9 | 9.6 |