Acid suppression therapy is overused in hospitalized patients

From a paper in Southern Medical Journal:

Results: Seventy percent of patients were started on AST on admission. Of these, 73% were unnecessary. Stress ulcers prophylaxis in low risk patients or the concomitant use of ulcerogenic drugs motivated initiation of therapy most frequently. Sixty nine percent of patients started on inappropriate AST were discharged on the same regimen. Admitting diagnosis, age of patient, length of stay, or concomitant use of ulcerogenic drugs did not predict continuation of unnecessary AST at discharge.

The inappropriate use is an unintended consequence of performance measures, bundles and clinical pathways. Inappropriate continuation after discharge is a consequence of medication reconciliation.