We assessed the impact on prescription behaviors and drug expenditures of an outpatient prescription incentive program in South Korea that provides financial incentives to primary care physicians for less prescription of medicines. METHODS:

We focused on drugs for ulcer or gastro-esophageal reflux disease. National Health Insurance claims data for years 2009~2012 were extracted from 1,625 clinics A clinic-level random effects model was used. RESULTS:

The overall impact of the program on drug expenditure was not significant. However, clinics in general medicine showed a lower prescription rate (-0.8 percentage points), number of medicines prescribed (-0.02), prescription duration (-0.15 days), and monthly drug expenditure (-740 won) per claim after the policy. Small clinics had lower drug expenditure (-650 won) and prescription duration (-0.76 days), while large clinics and those in group practice had higher prescription rate (+1.5 and 2.5 percentage points, respectively) and number of medicines prescribed (+0.03, group practice only) after the policy CONCLUSIONS:

The outpatient prescription incentive program worked as intended only in subgroups of minor clinics for the target medicines.