MONDAY, Jan. 26, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- People with heartburn comply with the label directions for over-the-counter Prilosec OTC, says a study in the new issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
When the over-the-counter drug, which contains the same active drug component as prescription Prilosec, became available last fall, some health professionals questioned whether consumers would use the new product as intended.
The study included 866 people. They were given diaries to record their experiences during and after the time they took the drug. They were called three months later to discuss their symptoms and whether they had contacted a doctor about their heartburn, as advised on the drug's label.
In all, 758 people returned their diaries. Nearly all of them followed the one-pill-a-day label guideline perfectly and 96 percent took the recommended doses for 14 days. More than 75 percent said they had talked with their doctor about heartburn.
The study was funded by the Proctor & Gamble Health Sciences Institute.
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