Appropriateness of the use of proton pump inhibitors in the Emergency Department of a Spanish university hospital.

Background: the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) has increased substantially during the last years, possibly due to a significant proportion of prescriptions that do not follow the approved indications.

Objective: to assess the prevalence of PPI prescription and the appropriateness of the prescription within the Emergency Department (ED) of a Spanish university hospital.

Materials And Methods: a cross-sectional, retrospective prescription-indication drug-use study was performed, which selected 384 patients that presented to the ED over two days in January 2016.