Proton pump inhibitors overused worldwide

(HealthDay)—Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are overused worldwide, with wide variation seen in the extent of inappropriate use, according to research published online Sept. 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.

Mark Naunton, Ph.D., from the University of Canberra in Australia, and colleagues analyzed data from the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to determine PPI usage in Australia. A literature review was conducted, and the authors examined the trend of reported PPI appropriate use across international studies.

The researchers found that from 2002 to 2010 there was an increase in PPI use in Australia, followed by a gradual decrease. There was wide variation in estimates of the extent of inappropriate use in the international literature (11 to 84 percent). From 2000 to 2016 there was little change in the extent of appropriate PPI use reported in 34 international studies. Patient-centered deprescribing, academic detailing, educational programs, and safety notifications were interventions for addressing inappropriate use.

"Ongoing education and awareness campaigns for health professionals and patients, including electronic reminders at the point of prescribing, are strategies that have potential to reduce PPI use in individuals who do not have an evidence-based clinical indication for their long-term use," the authors write.