Managed care issues in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abstract

The impact that reflux disease has on patients' quality of life is reviewed and some of the managed care issues surrounding treatment, including the step-up/step-down philosophy and a comparison of available proton pump inhibitor (PPI) agents, are explored. PPIs are first-line pharmacotherapy for treating reflux disease. They have shown superior efficacy compared with previously recommended agents. Whereas PPI therapy has some limitations, it offers substantial benefits in terms of clinical and quality-of-life factors.