Article date: April 2000
By: Janet Krska,, David Neale John,, Denise Hansford, Emily J. Kennedy, in Volume 49, Issue 4, pages 363-368
Aims To evaluate the use, efficacy and adverse effects of nonprescription H2‐receptor antagonists and alginate‐containing preparations obtained from community pharmacies.
Methods Questionnaires were distributed to customers from 39 pharmacies in Scotland and Wales.
Results Of 767 customers recruited, 608 (79.3%) returned an initial questionnaire and 472 (61.5%) customers a second questionnaire. The vast majority of respondents (424, 69.7%) had suffered their symptoms on three or more occasions and 369 (60.7%) had previously tried medicines to relieve their symptoms. Referrals to a doctor were less frequent than recommended in guidelines and few of those who were referred actually saw a doctor. Over a quarter of those returning the second questionnaire claimed to be taking more than one product simultaneously for symptom control. Eight customers who were taking prescribed ulcer‐healing drugs obtained H2‐receptor antagonists. The majority of respondents (355/472, 75.2%) obtained some or complete symptom relief using the product obtained and 369/472 (78.2%) were completely satisfied with their product. H2‐receptor antagonists were more likely to produce complete relief of symptoms than alginate‐containing preparations (P < 0.05). Only 14 respondents (3.0%) reported side‐effects from the product used which were mostly gastro‐intestinal.
Conclusions The study demonstrated that drug utilization studies are feasible to carry out in a community pharmacy setting. While the results support published evidence of the efficacy and minimal toxicity of these products, they also highlight the possibility of H2‐receptor antagonists being used outwith their licenced indications.
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.2000.00160.x
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