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Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are among the most commonly prescribed medicines and their overuse is widespread in both primary and secondary care. Inappropriate prescription is of particular concern among elderly patients, who have often multiple comorbidities and need many drugs.

We evaluate the appropriateness of drugs for peptic ulcer or gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a sample of elderly patients (65years old or older) at admission and discharge in 38 internal medicine wards between January 2008 and December 2008, according to the presence of specific conditions or gastro-toxic drug combinations.

Among 1155 patients eligible for the analysis, 466 (40.3%) were treated with drugs for GERD or peptic ulcer were at hospital admission and 647 (56.0%) at discharge; 62.4% of patients receiving a drug for peptic ulcer or GERD at admission and 63.2% at …