OTC Antacid May Be as Effective as Prescription

Jan. 23, 2007 — -- A widely available over-the-counter treatment for heartburn and acid reflux may provide the same benefits as prescription drugs nearly 10 times the cost, according to a Consumer Reports analysis released Monday.

But some physicians who prescribe these medicines say consumers may not reap the benefits of the savings -- and they may even end up paying more for OTC treatment than they would for prescription drugs.

The analysis suggests that Prilosec, an OTC version of a class of drugs known as a Proton Pump Inhibitors, or PPIs, carries the same benefits for patients as two prescription medicines in the same class, Prevacid and Nexium.

Prilosec costs $19 to $26 a month on average nationwide, compared to between $100 and $200 per month for prescription PPIs.

The report cites a detailed evaluation of scientific evidence and it concludes that the PPIs are equally effective in treating heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition commonly known as GERD.

"Many patients are on PPIs and for years we have used Prilosec OTC with no problem," says Dr. Neil Brooks, former president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, who currently oversees a large nursing home population. "I do not believe there is any difference between the OTC and prescription drugs."

"It has been well-known for years that all PPIs give about the same symptom relief," says Dr. Walter Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "I have always focused on symptoms and told my patients to use the cheapest PPI they could find. The bottom line is that for relief of heartburn symptoms, all PPIs are equal."

Not all doctors, however, believe that Prilosec provides the same degree of results as its prescription counterparts.

"I find this finding very hard to believe and I would want to see the actual 'scientific evidence' it was based on," says Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, assistant professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine.