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Published on: February 21, 2020
Self-reported effectiveness and physician consultation rate in users of over-the-counter histamine-2 receptor
M J Shaw1, A M Fendrick, R L Kane
1Health Research Center, Park Nicollet Clinic, HealthSystem Minnesota, St. Louis Park, USA.
Objective:
Decreased physician visits for dyspepsia were predicted with the histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) release to over-the-counter (OTC) status. The aim of this study was to examine the presentation frequency for dyspeptic complaints before and after the OTC release of the H2RA and the self-reported effectiveness of OTC H2RA.
Methods:
Two cross-sectional surveys were used in a community sample. The patients comprised a random age- and sex-stratified sample of 1600 ambulatory adults in 1993 and 1800 in 1997. Self-report, valid mail surveys gathered information on healthcare seeking and gastrointestinal symptoms in 1993 and 1997 and antisecretory use in 1997.
Results:
Presentation frequency for dyspepsia was 22% in 1993 versus 23.5% in 1997. Only 16% of chronic users of the OTC H2RA obtained complete relief of symptomatic episodes. Use of an OTC H2RA was highly associated with presentation to a physician in the past year.
Conclusions:
OTC H2RA infrequently provided the complete relief desired by patients. Presentation frequency to physicians for dyspeptic complaints did not change with availability of H2RA OTC.
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