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 Dr Joe Neary"No doctor would want to prescribe a single unnecessary tablet"  real 28k |
Indigestion drugs 'over-prescribed'
PPIs have proved hugely popular
Prescription drugs which can fight the ill-effects of a night on the tiles are being investigated due to fears over their cost to the NHS.
The drugs, known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), are used to treat ulcers and severe stomach indigestion.
They have proved so popular - with two million users in the UK - that they now account for 7% of the NHS drugs budget.
The drugs, known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), are used to treat ulcers and severe stomach indigestion.
They have proved so popular - with two million users in the UK - that they now account for 7% of the NHS drugs budget.
In the world I inhabit I don't have a big queue of carousers in the surgery every morning waiting for their fix in order to deal with the morning after the night before  |
Dr Joe Neary, Royal College of General Practitioners
|
The pharmaceutical watchdog, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, is now casting a critical eye over their use after concern that they are being over-prescribed.
Critics say that they are being used as a "life-style" drug rather than a medical necessity, allowing users to continue the bad habits - such as smoking, drinking and over-eating - which caused their symptoms in the first place.
The National Prescribing Centre in Liverpool says that only one in eight PPI prescriptions are for ulcers, and that most are given inappropriately.
It says simple and cheaper antacids could work just as well in many cases.
PPIs treat gullet irritation, severe indigestion and ulcers by stopping production of stomach acid.
The most common brands are Losec, Zoton, Protium and Pariet.
Dr Joe Neary, of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said he was not convinced the drugs were over-prescribed.
He said they were the best treatment and as such GPs were obliged to prescribe them.
A lot of people who suffer from chronic indigestion simply had body's that were prone to developing the problem, he said, and many had tried in vain to make substantial lifestyle changes before they went to their doctor.
Dr Neary told the BBC: "We are looking at people here who spend half their days walking an obstacle course between meal times and indigestion, whose nights are disturbed by severe bouts of indigestion, who come across a drug which completely relieves these symptoms and can transform lives.
"In the world I inhabit I don't have a big queue of carousers in the surgery every morning waiting for their fix in order to deal with the morning after the night before."
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will report their findings around July.
Critics say that they are being used as a "life-style" drug rather than a medical necessity, allowing users to continue the bad habits - such as smoking, drinking and over-eating - which caused their symptoms in the first place.
The National Prescribing Centre in Liverpool says that only one in eight PPI prescriptions are for ulcers, and that most are given inappropriately.
It says simple and cheaper antacids could work just as well in many cases.
PPIs treat gullet irritation, severe indigestion and ulcers by stopping production of stomach acid.
The most common brands are Losec, Zoton, Protium and Pariet.
Dr Joe Neary, of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said he was not convinced the drugs were over-prescribed.
He said they were the best treatment and as such GPs were obliged to prescribe them.
A lot of people who suffer from chronic indigestion simply had body's that were prone to developing the problem, he said, and many had tried in vain to make substantial lifestyle changes before they went to their doctor.
Dr Neary told the BBC: "We are looking at people here who spend half their days walking an obstacle course between meal times and indigestion, whose nights are disturbed by severe bouts of indigestion, who come across a drug which completely relieves these symptoms and can transform lives.
"In the world I inhabit I don't have a big queue of carousers in the surgery every morning waiting for their fix in order to deal with the morning after the night before."
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will report their findings around July.
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