The Effect of Informative Letters on the Prescription and Receipt of Seroquel

Abusive prescribing exposes patients to unnecessary health risks and results in wasteful public expenditures. This study will evaluate an innovative approach to fighting abusive prescription: sending letters to suspected inappropriate prescribers warning them that they are outliers compared to their peers and have been flagged for review. The study will target high prescribers of Seroquel (Quetiapine), a commonly prescribed antipsychotic. Using claims data, the researchers will assess the effect of the letters on prescribing of Seroquel, receipt of Seroquel by patients, substitution behavior by prescribers and patients, and health outcomes of patients.

Learn more:

• Evaluation Summary: The Effect of Informative Letters on the Prescription and Receipt of Seroquel in the United States
• Publication: Effect of Peer Comparison Letters for High-Volume Primary Care Prescribers of Quetiapine in Older and Disabled Adults, JAMA Psychiatry

Media mentions:

• Here’s a Cheap Way to Fight Drug Misuse: Send Doctors a Sharp Letter, New York Times
• Telling doctors their patient died from overdose could prevent some opioid abuse, Washington Post
• A Simple Letter Can Shape Physician Behavior, Politico
• 'Dear Doctor' Letters Use Peer Pressure, Government Warning To Stop Overprescribing, NPR
• New Evidence on Stemming Low-Value Prescribing, NEJM Catalyst