36% of proton pump inhibitor prescriptions for older adults may be unneeded

FINDINGSOne in eight older adults was prescribed proton pump inhibitor drugs, which are used to treat gastric ulcers or to prevent gastrointestinal bleeding in those taking blood thinners. About 36 percent of those prescriptions were potentially unnecessary, a study found, primarily because people took them far longer than the often-recommended eight weeks.BACKGROUNDOlder Americans frequently receive  low-value care, which is care that has no net benefit to the individual and has the potential to harm them. Low-value care contributes significantly to higher health costs. Most people are unaware of the potential toxicity of proton pump inhibitor drugs — which include Prilosec, Prevacid and Nex ium among other brand names — and older adults are especially vulnerable to complications from them, such as gastrointestinal infections. METHODScientists identified 69,000 individuals age 65 and older who were receiving primary care at a large health system in 2018. Of those, 8,700 were prescribed the inhibitors. The scientists reviewed a random sample of charts for 399 patients prescribed the drugs to determine which ones did or did not have conditions calling for their use. For example, a patient with heartburn would typically stop taking or begin to wean off the inhibitors after eight weeks, whereas those taking blood thinners would need to take the drugs indefinitely.The findings may not apply to health systems other than the one involved in the study. And it is possible tha...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news