# RE: E-DRUG: To Dispense or not to dispense **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [September 30, 1999, 8:40pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/re-e-drug-to-dispense-or-not-to-dispense/6167 "1999-09-30T20:40:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![richardl1951](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@richardl1951](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/richardl1951)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 8:40pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/re-e-drug-to-dispense-or-not-to-dispense/6167/1 "1999-09-30T20:40:39Z")
E-DRUG: To Dispense or not to dispense (3) ------------------------------------------ This is an ongoing issue in many countries. I would urge Margareth Magagula to gather data to try to convince people to separate the two functions. In all studies that I am aware of, dispensing doctors prescribe more than non dispensing doctors. If you could collect data to show this, you may be able to convince people that it is better for cost as well as safety reasons. If you can't separate the functions then it is reasonable to advocate that the doctor should not profit from drug sales. Let there be a fixed dispensing fee without markup on the drugs. Then there is no incentive to prescribe the expensive drugs. In fact there may be an incentive to prescribe generics to reduce the cost to the patient. This is an area where we need good data, particularly of the effect of changes in regulations. Good luck Richard Laing Associate Professor of International Health Boston University School of Public Health 715 Albany St, T4W, Boston MA 02118 USA Tel 617 414-1444 Fax 617 638-4476 E-mail richardl@bu.edu -- Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'. Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.