gms | German Medical Science

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most common drugs taken. They are the most effective drugs for inhibiting gastric acid secretion. The indications are treatment of heartburn, reflux disease, prophylaxis and treatment of peptic ulcers, in combination with NSAIDs and steroids as well as H.pylori-eradication. PPIs are widely used, even with non-specific symptoms. This has to do certainly with good tolerability and a previously considered low side effect profile. Actually, there is growing evidence that the long-term intake of PPI’s may not be as safe as assumed. New studies have shown clinically relevant risks of PPI therapy. PPIs have been in clinical use for more than 25 years and since the launch of the first representative of this group in 1989, omeprazole, the number of PPI prescriptions has shown a linear increase in Germany. Therefore we analyzed the use of PPIs at the University Hospital Jena between 2013 and 2016.

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of the use of proton pump inhibitors was performed using drug data from all clinics at the University Hospital Jena between 2013 and 2016.

Results: Pantoprazole, omeprazole and esomeprazole with standard clinical doses are listed at the pharmacy at the University Hospital. Pantoprazole was the most frequently dispensed PPI, followed by esomeprazole and omeprazole. We observed no increase in the use of pantoprazole, the most used PPI in our University Hospital. No substantial changes were seen in the prescription manners regarding omeprazole as well as esomeprazole. The use of PPIs in all did not increase during the last years at the University Hospital Jena.

Conclusion: No increase of use of PPIs was shown at the University Hospital Jena in contrast to prescription manners by general practitioners in Germany. We did not look for inappropriate prescriptions of proton pump inhibitors at the University Hospital Jena.