Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Among Older Australians: National Quality Improvement Programmes Have Led to Sustained Practice Change

Objective: To evaluate the impact of national multifaceted initiatives to improve use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on the use of PPIs among older Australians.

Design: Interrupted time series analysis using administrative health claims data from the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

Setting: Australia.

Participants: All veterans and dependents who received PPIs between January 2003 and December 2013.

Intervention(s): National, multifaceted interventions to improve PPI use were conducted by the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs Veterans' MATES programme and Australia's NPS MedicineWise in April 2004, June 2006, May 2009 and August 2012.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Trends in monthly rate of use of any PPI among the veteran population, and the monthly rate of use of low strength PPIs among all veterans dispensed a PPI.

Results: Interventions in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2012 slowed the rate of increase in PPI use significantly, with the 2012 intervention resulting in a sustained 0.04% decrease in PPI use each month. The combined effect of all four interventions was a 20.9% (95% CI 7.8-33.9%) relative decrease in PPI use 12 months after the final intervention. The four interventions also resulted in a 42.2% (95% CI 19.9-64.5%) relative increase in low strength PPI use 12 months after the final intervention.

Conclusions: National multifaceted programmes targeting clinicians and consumers were effective in reducing overall PPI use and increasing use of low strength PPIs. Interventions to improve PPI use should incorporate regular repetition of key messages to sustain practice change.