Many people who go to the doctor with stomach issues are wrongly prescribed stomach acid inhibitors for too long, according to research by Radboudumc, among others, in about 300 general practice.
In approximately 9 out of 10 cases, antacids are prescribed for prolonged periods without a medical indication. According to research, this concerns 88 percent of patients.
Research focuses on prescribing medications by general practitioners for three types of complaints: antibiotics for eye inflammation, muscle relaxants for low back pain, and antacids for stomach pain.
Only 3 percent of people with low back pain are given muscle relaxants without indication. In people with ocular inflammation, the distribution is about 50-50. Results have posted in the scientific journal British Journal of General Practice†
* Hide real problems
According to the researchers, antacids mask the true causes of the complaint. These are often associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, such as being overweight, excessive alcohol consumption, or poor diet. This makes addressing the problem complex.
“There are alternatives, such as analgesics, to prescribing muscle relaxants for low back pain,” say researchers Tijn Kool and Simone van Dulmen of Radboudumc. “And a tip: You have to move. With antacids, the key is often a different lifestyle or a different diet. That takes a long breath, because nothing like that has changed overnight.”
“It hides the antacids, while the body sends signals,” says Jaco Burgers, MD, who was involved in the study. According to him, general practitioners, pharmacists, and patients should be more vigilant and often ask themselves if medication is really necessary. says in The Radio NOS 1 News† “It is important that good information is given, as it is often not necessary.”
Campaign
Radboud researchers also believe that things should be done differently. “This number is only high. That’s why we say, we should look at this with GPs, pharmacists and patients.”
One Campaign and Online help tool at Thuisarts.nl Aimed at patients, you should help with that. The National Institute of Health Care previously presented a improvement reportaimed at improving care for people with stomach problems.
