Expert Opinion on the Prescription Practice of Rabeprazole and Other Common Proton Pump Inhibitors for Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Objective: The current survey-based study aims to provide further insights on expert opinion regarding the commonly prescribed PPIs in clinical practice, with a specific focus on the use of oral rabeprazole 20 mg as a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) maintenance therapy in Indian settings. Methodology: The questionnaire-based survey involving 25 questions collected perspectives of experts across various regions of India regarding the prescription practice of rabeprazole 20 mg and other proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) for treating GERD symptoms. Results: Out of 512 study participants, 44% reported obesity as the common comorbid condition observed in GERD patients, while 28% noted co-morbid diabetes mellitus. According to 68% of the respondents, rabeprazole demonstrated superiority over other PPIs in terms of quicker onset of action, maintaining intragastric pH >4 over 24 hours’ post-dose, and reduced nighttime heartburn. For GERD patients with functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis, 52% of responders favored the addition of domperidone as a prokinetic drug to the PPI treatment. Moreover, the majority of participants (61.91%) observed that rabeprazole 20 mg did not cause a delay in stomach emptying, nor did it raise somatostatin levels or alter baseline motilin levels in GERD patients. These findings underscore the effectiveness of rabeprazole 20 mg in comparison to omeprazole and lansoprazole. Conclusion: Experts recommended rabeprazole 20 mg as the preferred treatment option over omeprazole and lansoprazole for GERD patients with coexisting obesity and diabetes mellitus conditions. Additionally, over half of the respondents reported using a combination of domperidone and other PPIs for GERD patients with functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis.