• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.8-21
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• 2023

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) drugs are often co-prescribed with other medications to prevent GI complications. This study aimed to evaluate the prescribing pattern of potentially unnecessary GI drugs in patients with acute cystitis who were prescribed oral antibiotics and investigate the influencing factors affecting this. Methods: We identified female patients ≥20 years with acute cystitis who visited the outpatient clinic and were prescribed oral antibiotics between July and December by analyzing Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)-National Patients Sample (NPS)-2019 data. Patients with no prior history of GI disorders within 180 days prior to acute cystitis, excluding or including the date of diagnosis of acute cystitis, were selected (Group A and B). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the factors affecting the prescription of potentially unnecessary GI drugs. Results: A total of 1,544 in Group A and 552 patients in Group B were included for the final analysis. Potentially unnecessary GI drugs were prescribed in 1,176 patients in Group A (76.2%) and 231 patients in Group B (41.8%). Third generation cephalosporines and sulfonamides showed the lower odds ratio for prescribing GI drugs than penicillins. Prescribers from Urology clinics showed more than twice odds ratio for the prescription of GI drugs compared to prescribers from internal medicine clinics. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that potentially unnecessary GI drug prescriptions for patients with acute cystitis were high in South Korea. The positive risk factors affecting the prescription of unnecessary GIs were not patient-related factor but healthcare facility and prescriber-related factors.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.57-61
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• 2000

Gastrointestinal (GI) medications have been administered to many patients without any gastrointestinal diseases. The objectives of this study were to evaluate use of GI drugs and assess related factors. Medical records of 600 outpatients were reviewed from January 1997 to December 1997 at A Hospital, Kyunggi-do, Korea. Fifty patients every month among all outpatients were randomly selected up to total 600 patients. Surgical patients, visitors for regular health examination and inpatients were excluded. GI symptoms included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia, constipation, heartburn, dysphagia and abdominal pain. The prescribed gastrointestinal drugs were antacids. $H_2$-antagonist, sucralfate, cisapride, omeprazole, laxatives, digestive enzymes and antidiarrheal agents. Patients without GI symptoms were 348 out of 600 outpatients who were screened. Two hundred and eighty two of 348 patients $(81\%)$ were given GI drugs though they did not have any GI symptoms. There were no differences in regard to sex and age of patients. Most of medical departments prescribed gastrointestinal drugs for these patients. The most frequently prescribed drugs were in order of digestive enzyme, antacids and $H_2$-antagonists. In view of economic aspects, patients paid 12.28 percents of total cost per prescription for unnecessary medicines. The medical practice of prescribing GI drugs should be assessed to define appropriate subgroups to have benefits with prophylactic administration and to reduce adverse effects caused by drug interactions. Pharmacists would have a significant role to promote rational drug therapy.