PPIs are effective drugs for the treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Patients should always be prescribed the lowest dose of drug that manages their symptoms. Even though GERD is often a chronic condition, over time the disease may not require acid suppression and it is important that patients do not take drugs that are no longer necessary. For this reason patients should try stopping their acid suppressive therapy at least once per year. Patients with Barrett’s esophagus, Los Angeles Grade D esophagitis, and gastrointestinal bleeding would be exempt from this.
Sources:
Cahir C, et al. Proton pump inhibitors: potential cost reductions by applying prescribing guidelines. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012 Nov 19;12:408. PMID: 23163956.
Related Resources:
Patient Pamphlet: Treating Heartburn and Gastro-Esophageal Reflex (GERD): Using proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) carefully
Toolkit: Bye-Bye, PPI – A toolkit for deprescribing proton pump inhibitors in EMR-enabled primary care settings