Primary care in the treatment of functional gastrointestinal symptoms in Japan: prescription preferences and impression of results.
BACKGROUND
Functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are common in primary care. However, proper pharmacological approaches have not yet been established. The reason for a lack of proper approaches may be attributable to the lack in clarity of their pathogenesis and pathophysiology. Meta-analysis of pharmacological approaches to functional GI disorders failed to identify the solid cluster of patients' symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to assess the perspective of primary care doctors concerning prescriptions for functional GI symptoms, evaluate the efficacy of the drugs prescribed, and the need for medication for these symptoms.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent to primary care doctors, and a total of 149 responses were obtained. Efficacy of each medication was evaluated by the number of doctors favouring the category, and the respective impressions of prescriptions given.


RESULTS
Symptoms of heartburn were well controlled by anti-secretory drugs (H2RAs and PPIs), while appetite loss and abdominal gurgling were not controlled by any medications.


CONCLUSIONS
This survey reveals differences in need for various prescription drugs in functional GI symptoms.
Hongo
M
M
Department of Comprehensive Medicine, Tohoku Univeristy Hospital, Aoba, Sendai, Japan. m-hongo@mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp
Kanatsuka
H
H
Sugawara
A
A
Nagasaki
Y
Y
Endo
Y
Y
Karahashi
K
K
Shoji
T
T
Sagami
Y
Y
Aoki
I
I
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D003248:Constipation / Q000188:drug therapy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006356:Heartburn / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D007564:Japan; D009325:Nausea / Q000188:drug therapy; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*