Prescribing in primary care

Prescribing in Primary Care (PR) is a subgroup of indicators within the HCQO database and provides data on the quality and safety of prescribing practices in primary care settings. Safe prescribing is a key dimension of healthcare quality, as the overuse, underuse or misuse of medications can lead to adverse health outcomes and higher healthcare expenditure. The database includes indicators on prescribing rates of cholesterol-lowering and anti-hypertensive drugs (among people with diabetes), benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antibiotics, and opioids, as well as polypharmacy. Depending on the indicator, results are reported as crude or standardised rates.

For further information, please consult:

• The HCQO Definitions document provides indicator definitions and calculation methodologies of HCQO indicators


• The Sources and Methods survey on Prescribing in Primary Care (PR) provides detailed country-specific information


• The OECD’s Health System Performance Assessment (HSPA) Framework outlines how HCQO indicators relate to the OECD’s HSPA domains of Access, Quality and People’s needs and preferences