Clinical Intervention Increases Rational Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors in the General Surgery Department

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the role of the clinical pharmacist in the rational use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in a general surgery department. All enrolled patients had attended the general surgery department of a tertiary hospital. This single-center prospective study compared differences in the overall rate of rational PPI use, proportion of unindicated PPI use, utilization rate, average defined daily dose (DDD), drug costs, PPI costs, and cost-effectiveness of clinical pharmacist intervention between the intervention (538 cases) and control (536 cases) groups. In the intervention group, Pareto and fishbone diagram analyses were combined with the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle; Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used for analyzing all data. The overall rate of rational PPI use was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.01). The proportion of unindicated PPI use, utilization rate, average DDD, drug costs, and PPI costs were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Cost-effectiveness analysis for the overall rate of rational PPI use indicated a positive impact of intervention, with economic benefits in the intervention group. Clinical pharmacist intervention for rational use of PPIs in general surgery departments could significantly increase the overall rate of rational PPI use; it could also reduce the proportion of unindicated PPI use, utilization rates, average DDDs, drug costs, and PPIs costs. Pharmacist intervention also offers economic benefits by improving the overall rate of rational PPI use.