Investigation of Awareness of Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Adults Using Proton Pump Inhibitors Admitted to Primary Care

INTRODUCTION: Because proton pump inhibitors are effective and well tolerated, their use without an appropriate indication is increasing. This raises concerns about long-term side effects.
METHODS: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted among patients using proton pump inhibitors for any reason in 4 primary care centers in Hatay province. The study included 451 participants. The statistical significance level of the data obtained was interpreted with the “p” value. p<0.05 values were considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: In this study, 39.9% of patients were using proton pump inhibitors inappropriately. 38.4% of the patients had been using proton pump inhibitors for more than 2 years. There was also a significant association between use for more than 2 years and the occurrence of side effects (p=0.001). 75.4% of the patients stated that they were not informed about the side effects of the drug. In addition, in patient-physician communication, there was a significant correlation between physician's mention of side effects and inappropriate use of proton pump inhibitors (p=0.009).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Inappropriate proton pump inhibitors can be prevented by starting the appropriate dose of proton pump inhibitor in the patient with the necessary indication, informing the patient at the first prescription, creating a physician's plan about when to terminate proton pump inhibitors, and raising awareness of the patient about this issue.