A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION INTO GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS VIEWS ON PRESCRIBING SUGAR-FREE MEDICINES FOR CHILDREN PRIOR TO A DENTAL-HEALTH EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

As general medical practitioners were to be one of the target groups for a dental health campaign aimed at encouraging the use of sugar-free rather than sugar-containing paediatric medicines, this pilot study was undertaken of their prescribing habits. Ten general practitioners were interviewed in-depth to investigate the factors affecting prescribing, with particular regard to young children, and whether concerns about dental health prompted the prescriptions of sugar-free medicines. The general practitioners reported a lack of information on sugar-free medicines and why it should be important to use them, especially with regard to all the other sugar intakes a child would have. Prescribing was described as 'automatic' once established, so changing to sugar-free would have to be made easy and a good reason given. Several useful suggestions were made as to how to make a campaign to promote the use of sugar-free medicines more effective.