Indigestion Costs Hard to Stomach
Indigestion Costs Hard to Stomach
At least £100 million of the NHS's drug budget is being wasted on indigestion drugs each year, according to a report published in the British Medical Journal.
The doctors behind the report, Kings College London's Dr Ian Forgacs and Dr Aathavan Loganyagam, say that although £425 million was spent on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in 2006, there was no indication for the prescription in up to 70 per cent of cases.
"Effective and cheaper alternative drugs are available for many patients but prescriptions for PPIs now account for more than 90 per cent of the NHS drug budget for treating dyspepsia," the doctors told the British Medical Journal. "Although they're incredibly safe and effective for indigestion, PPIs are being overused. It's a bit like giving morphine for a headache."
BBC News Online, 4 January 2008