Primary attention: What do we know about cardiovascular medicines. Results of an opinion survey

Objective:
 To determine knowledge of most prescribed cardiovascular (CV) medicine’s cost by doctors in Primary Attention (PA) in Mallorca

 Methods and materials:

Field: Doctors in PA in Mallorca island (Spain) during 2008.
Sample: sample by conglomerations, aleatory and representative of PA doctors in Mallorca (N = 236).
Information source: ad hoc survey, with personal data and professionals, and 14 items addressed to evaluate knowledge of most prescribed CV medicine’s cost (as 2007 official ranking). The estimated price by the participants was compared with the official price in each medicine, to check the possibility of over or infraestimation (that was fixed in >/< 20% from final price, respectively).

 Results:

Low knowledge about CV medicine’s cost was detected. About % of participants overestimated real cost, while about % infraestimate it. There are no large differences between the 14 medicines analyzed.

 Conclusions:

Knowledge of medicine’s cost is an essential element for a rational use of themselves. In Mallorca’s PA exist important deficiencies in knowledge of CV medicine’s cost, that should be overcome.