title: Inappropriate prescribing of proton pump inhibitors in primary care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8QA, UK.
authors.forename: Bisanth Thushila
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Batuwitage
authors.forename: Jeremy G C
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kingham
authors.forename: Nia Emma
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Ruth Louise
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D017494:Proton Pumps / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D017494:Proton Pumps