Prescribing practice cost containment

More recently, large databases have been used to estimate the effect of drug co-payment in the USA under different insurance schemes.10 The conclusion reached is that there is a significant interaction effect between the behaviour of demand and prescriber incentives. Thus, larger prescription drug copayments are associated with lower expenditure when the doctor does not share the financial risk of the cost of the drugs (that is, practises in an independent practice association) but this effect is barely perceived in managed care models in which the doctor has incentives for cost containment. 

In general, no more than one product is necessary per category of enteral feeding formulations and it may be possible to omit certain categories based on the specific population and physician prescribing practices within a given institution. The selection of product should be based on meeting patient nutritional requirements. Additional selection criteria include container size and type, liquid or powder form, shelf life, ease of use, and cost. 

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