In a recent letter to the editor, Dr. Giuseppe Belleri expressed concerns about the inappropriate prescribing practices in the Italian healthcare system. The soon-to-be-approved ministerial decree aims to reduce defensive medicine, where unnecessary tests and treatments are ordered to avoid malpractice lawsuits.
Dr. Belleri highlights the complex interactions between patients, general practitioners, and specialists, noting that requests for further investigations are not always made when necessary. He emphasizes the need for a rethinking of the system’s governance to prevent overuse and underuse of medical services.
Research from 2006 showed that a significant portion of specialist outpatient services were requested by specialists or patients, rather than by the GP. This has led to a dual prescriptive system, with private specialist centers driving defensive medicine practices.
To address this issue, Dr. Belleri calls for an increase in public specialist services to bring control back to the NHS and reduce defensive tendencies. Without this macro-level reorganization, he warns that the burden of inappropriate prescribing will continue to fall on frontline healthcare providers.
Overall, Dr. Belleri’s letter raises important concerns about the need for systemic change in the Italian healthcare system to ensure appropriate and effective medical care.