ASSESSMENT OF PRESCRIBING TRENDS IN GERD PATIENTS AND PATIENT COMPLIANCE IN VARIOUS HOSPITALS OF PAKISTAN

Saima Shahid*, Nafeesa Kanwal, Farwa Hameed and Munaza Riaz

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the prescribing trends of PPI’s and concomitant drugs in the Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients and evaluation of success rate of drugs and patient compliance in hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan. Material and methods: Indiscriminate selection was made to select 300 patients diagnosed with GERD from various hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan. Patients and care takers were interviewed in very appropriate and agreeable manner to fetch the data on Questionnaire. The data was analyzed using statistical tools. Results were displayed in form of tables and graphs. Results: A total of 300 patients were observed in the outdoor and indoor departments of different tertiary care hospitals. Of the numbers of patients seen 10% patients had concurrent disease with GERD. 50% patients self-medicated themselves. Common symptoms associated with GERD were acid brash, dysphagia, heartburn and regurgitation. Most of the people (almost 55%) were using esomeprazole. Major side effect was GIT (Gastro Intestinal Tract) problems others include headache, allergy, pneumonia and osteoporosis. 19% patients have no effect on their quality of life, 37% feel better after treatment while 42% were curing from disease. 90% patients were following medication therapy and advice of physician. Only 10% patients were receiving pharmacist’s consultation. Conclusion: Esomeprazole, Omeprazole and Pantoprazole with some concomitant drugs were frequently prescribing medicines to treat GERD. Highly prescribed PPI was Esomeprazole with some of these medicines like Domperidone, Itopride, Mucaine, Gaviscone and Becefol to the patients. Some patients were not following the prescription accordingly. Lack of consultation, drug-drug interaction, underuse of drugs, in-appropriate use of drugs were some factors which leads to explore the risks of PPI’s. Appropriate treatment with PPI’s and concomitant medicines is a need to treat this effectively as it could become fatal disease and may lead to ulcer and cancer.

Keywords: GERD, Concomitant medicines with PPI’s, Efficacy, Quality, Side Effect.