Medicine Takers, Prescribers and Hoarders

Karen Dunnell, Ann Cartwright

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN:
  9781032718446
• eBook ISBN:
  9781003862802
• Topic: Scienze sociali
• Subtopic: Lavoro in ambito sociale

In the early 1970s, the consumption of both prescribed and non-prescribed medicines in Britain was increasing. Originally published in 1972, this book takes a look at the medicine takers and the types of medicine they take. It examines the relationship between self-medication and prescription, and describes the frequency and nature of repeat prescribing. The medicines kept in a random sample of households were counted and analysed, and data about the length of time people hoarded medicines is used as a basis for estimating the proportion of prescribed medicines that are wasted.

By putting the views and habits of people as patients alongside information from their general practitioners the study illuminates the relationship between patients and doctors. In addition, variations between people in different social classes direct light on the distribution of care and the equity of services at the time

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Ill Health and Medication
• 3 The Nature of Medication
• 4 Frequency and Length of Medication
• 5 Who Takes the Medicines?
• 6 General Practitioners' Views and Practices
• 7 Medicines in the Home
• 8 Patterns in the Use of Commonly Taken Medicines
• 9 Discussion
• Appendix I: The Samples of Areas, Adults, Households and Children
• Appendix II The Sample of General Practitioners
• Appendix III Comparison off the two Classifications of Medicines
• Appendix IV Variations Between Areas and Different Times of the Year
• Appendix V: Scores
• Appendix VI Statistical Significance
• Appendix VII Classification of Social Class
• Appendix VIII The Questionnaires
• References
• Index