2.3 Proton Pump Inhibitor medicines dispensing, 18 years and over

The Atlas found that the rate of PPI medicines dispensing varies up to five-fold between local areas in Australia. Fifteen per cent of the adult population had at least one prescription for a PPI medicine dispensed in the year.

Interventions should focus on consumer education about modifiable lifestyle factors that increase the risk of GORD, on appropriate prescribing when adults are first placed on a PPI medicine, and on deprescribing. Multifaceted approaches directed at both clinicians and consumers have been found to be effective. These could include information for consumers, information for general practitioners encouraging ‘stepping‑down’ PPI therapy for GORD and a list of their patients taking ongoing PPI therapy, and information for pharmacists. Quality improvement interventions in hospitals could improve appropriateness of care in this setting. This could then have a flow-on effect to prescribing in the community, as hospital recommendations for PPI medicines use may influence PPI medicines use after discharge.

Proton pump inhibitor medicines for adults

2h. Relevant colleges and clinical societies to:

1. Develop educational programs targeting both general practitioners and specialists to improve the appropriateness of use of PPI medicines
2. Review their training programs to ensure that guidance on the use of PPI medicines is consistent with the current evidence base.

2i. Relevant colleges and clinical societies to develop educational programs for consumers to educate them about the importance and benefits of lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of chronic diseases, particularly gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and bowel cancer.

2j. The Commission to develop a clinical care standard on investigation and management of dyspepsia and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

2k. NPS MedicineWise to ensure that information for consumers about appropriate use of PPI medicines and about modifiable lifestyle factors that increase the risk of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is highlighted, where appropriate, in its public education campaigns.

Download the proton pump inhibitor medicines dispensing section of the Atlas below, to read more about the context, data, key findings, interpretation, and addressing of variation for this clinical item:

Content list:

• Context
• About the data
  • Same-day procedure admission policies
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification 
• What do the data show?
  • Magnitude of variation
  • Analysis by remoteness and socioeconomic status
  • Analysis by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status
  • Analysis by sex
  • Gastroscopy and colonoscopy during the same hospitalisation
• Interpretation
  • Clinical decision-making
  • Access to endoscopy services
  • Rates of private health insurance
  • Other factors
• Addressing variation
  • Review of MBS item descriptions
  • Education and clinical audit
  • Concurrent gastroscopy and colonoscopy
  • Barrett’s oesophagus surveillance
  • Appropriate prioritisation of colonoscopy and gastroscopy
  • Consumer education
  • Reducing risk factors
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and gastroscopy