Prescribing of proton pump inhibitors for gastrointestinal bleeding prophylaxis in the Lebanese outpatient setting: patterns, compliance with guidelines and risks.

This study demonstrated that PPIs were appropriately prescribed for GIBP in less than the half of the study patients. The need for improvement of clinical practice in this regard is therefore indispensable since inappropriate prescribing is costly and put the patient at risk for adverse health outcomes. Strategies to alter inappropriate prescribing may include education, guidelines awareness and decision support systems.