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Postgrad Med J 2007;83:66-68 doi:10.1136/pgmj.2006.051151
  • Clinical audit

Inappropriate prescribing of proton pump inhibitors in primary care

  1. Bisanth Thushila Batuwitage,
  2. Jeremy G C Kingham,
  3. Nia Emma Morgan,
  4. Ruth Louise Bartlett
  1. Department of Medicine, Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8QA, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
 Jeremy G C Kingham
 Department of Medicine, Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8QA, UK; jkingham{at}swansea-tr.wales.nhs.uk
  • Received 6 July 2006
  • Accepted 18 September 2006

Abstract

Objectives: To determine if an educational intervention initiated in secondary care can influence prescribing of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the community.

Methods: A prospective study of PPI use in patients admitted to medical wards in a university hospital. A simple educational intervention was employed to reduce inappropriate prescribing of PPIs in the community.

Results: In the pre-intervention analysis 66/271 (24%) patients were receiving treatment with a PPI prescribed in the community. In 36/66 (54%) patients the PPI had been prescribed inappropriately. Six months after the intervention 91/344 (26%) patients were prescribed a PPI in the community. In only 45 of these 91 (49%) patients was there a recommended indication.

Conclusion: The intervention used in this study had no effect on the proportion of patients taking a PPI at the time of hospital admission or on the appropriateness of prescribing in the community.

Footnotes

  • There are no competing interests.

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