When gatekeepers meet the sentinel: the impact of a prior authorization requirement for cefuroxime on the prescribing behaviour of community-based physicians

摘要

AimsPrior authorization (PA), the requirement of physicians to obtain pre-approval as a prerequisite for coverage, may decrease drug utilization via a ‘sentinel effect’, a decrease in utilization caused by external review of prescribing. The purpose of this study was to assess the affect a PA restriction had on the utilization patterns of cefuroxime tablets in a managed care organization (MCO) in Israel.