Rational prescribing: practice audit and drug switch in dyspepsia management

Growing demands on limited healthcare resources and budgets have led to an increased focus on the costs associated with the purchase of drugs. Consequently, approaches to treatment for various disease states are now dictated not only by issues such as best medical benefits, but also by the cost of the drug that is used. As such, drug-switching strategies have become increasingly common practice where, although the clinical benefits offered by the various medications for a specific condition may be similar, the cost differentials are notable. Application of this switch procedure has recently been assessed in the context of the management of acid-related gastrointestinal disorders and has demonstrated that switching patients to therapy with the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole from H2-receptor antagonists or other proton pump inhibitors not only offers therapeutic advantages but also has important financial implications in general practice with regard to cost savings.