Evaluating non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

Abstract

Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) are important for many reasons. First, due to their proven analgesic and antiinflammatory effects, they are important to the patients who need them for symptomatic improvement of various painful conditions (1). Second, NSAID are hampered with toxic effects (1, 2), some of which are serious or even life-threatening, and such cases are increasing with the increasing use of NSAID. Third, the popularity of NSAID means that they have a significant socio-economic impact on society. In 1985, for example, it was estimated that the yearly sale of NSAID on a world-wide basis accounted for 2.1 billion US dollars, most probably an underestimate. The same year 67 and 22 million prescriptions were dispensed in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively (3, 4). In England, it was calculated that about two prescriptions were dispensed for every 5 people, and in those aged over 65 the prescribing rate was 1200 per 1000 people, which means that each person at this age is...