Consequences of induced demand for medicine prescription: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of the present qualitative study was to investigate the consequences of an irrational prescription of medicine through in-depth interviews with various stakeholders. Materials and Methods: We used in-depth interviews for data gathering with a purposive sample of twenty participants who were selected according to their experience. We transcribed and analyzed interviews and identified, named, and coded the key themes with a sample of quotation. Results: In general, 14 subthemes or consequences were identified and classified, including health, economic, and social consequences. Some consequences are treatment failure, impose the financial costs to an individual and the government, waste of medicines, increase the financial burden of insurance organizations, trafficking medicine, disruption in the appropriate supply of medicine, deprive people needed for medicine, and deviation in policymaking. Conclusion: The present study provides evidence that confirms the induced demand effect on health, society, and economic. Hence, we recommend health practitioners plan the health education interventions to reduce unnecessary prescriptions of medicine and the consequences and prevent the induced demand for the prescription.