Concomitant prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antacids in the outpatient setting of a medical center in taiwan: a prescription database study.
OBJECTIVE
Although antacids were ineffective in preventing serious gastrointestinal complications caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), many physicians in Taiwan still prescribe antacids concomitantly with NSAIDs. A survey of an outpatient prescription database was performed to measure the extent of such a combination and to explore its associated factors.


METHODS
One month of the outpatient prescription data in the polyclinic of a medical center in Taiwan served to estimate the frequency of concomitant antacid prescription with NSAIDs. The age of patients, duration of NSAID prescriptions, concomitant prescription of corticosteroid or ulcer-healing drugs, and inter-departmental variations were compared between the NSAID prescriptions with and without antacids.


RESULTS
Antacids were present in 87.3% of prescriptions with NSAIDs but only in 34.4% of prescriptions without NSAIDs (P<0.001). The prescription of antacids was significantly associated with the prescription of NSAIDs. The age of patients and duration of NSAID prescriptions did not influence the co-prescription of NSAIDs and antacids. Significant inter-departmental variations were noted in which the surgeons and orthopedic doctors tended to co-prescribe antacids with NSAIDs more often than the internists.


CONCLUSIONS
The physicians in Taiwan tended to prescribe NSAIDs together with antacids. The rationality of this co-prescription deserves further investigation.
Liu
J Y
JY
Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.
Chen
T J
TJ
Hwang
S J
SJ
D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000863:Antacids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019992:Databases as Topic; D004347:Drug Interactions; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D013624:Taiwan
D000863:Antacids; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal