Abstract:

In this paper we will use German experience to illustrate how doctors react in their thoughts and opinions to these discussions, in particular to those initiated in 1976 by the government and some Federal Ministries. These sociopolitical discussions were picked up widely by the public, particularly by the mass media radio, television, daily newspapers and magazines. There were even recommendations to limit the doctors' prescription behaviour, particularly with regard to OTC-drugs. For this reason we carried out in connection with the LA-MED survey 1976/77 a special analysis, which shows how the opinion of the doctors changed (over a six month period). These changes appear to reflect reactions to government measures. In the second part of our paper we shall present the results of a special survey carried out and financed by IVE. This survey was carried out in the early summer of 1978 and illustrates the opinion of doctors with regard to aspects such as politics in social security matters, insurance companies, union, patients, colleagues and the behaviour of the doctors concerning costs. Apart from this we shall report on the answers of doctors concerning their changes in prescribing behaviour.