Disclosure of Physician Prescribing Information and Prescription Drug Costs: Evidence from Saskatchewan

Restrictions on the release of physician prescribing information from pharmacy records in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan were relaxed in 2000. Estimates of aggregated physician prescribing profiles in Saskatchewan have subsequently been available since January 2001. There is some concern that the use of these data to direct drug detailing and promotion efforts may increase prescription drug costs. The evidence on this is sparse, however. …