Americans with heartburn paying too much for Nexium's 'Purple Pill,' claims Consumer Reports

Last year, US consumers and their insurance companies spent $4.8 billion on Nexium (esomeprazole, a blockbuster drug from AstraZeneca) one of six proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) currently available, making "the purple pill" the second highest-selling drug in 2008, behind Lipitor (atorvastatin, the cholesterol-lowering, all-time biggest selling drug from Pfizer, reports Consumer Reports' Best Buy Drugs. 'It's no wonder: a month's supply of Nexium has a retail price tag of up to $240 a month, compared to just $24 a month for an over-the-counter PPI,' it observes.

"For most consumers, over-the-counter, generic drugs will treat their frequent heartburn and acid reflux just as well as more expensive prescription drugs, and save them money too," said Lisa Gill, editor, prescription drugs, Consumer Reports Health. "We think doctors have been too quick to prescribe expensive, prescription medications when a generic or an over-the-counter would work just as well," she added.

The first and best bet to settle stomachs is to try an inexpensive, over-the-counter antacid (such as Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, Tums, or their generic versions) or an H2 blocker (Pepcid AC, Zantac 150, or their generic versions), the report advises. People who suffer from heartburn twice a week or more for weeks or months on end may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition that makes people prone to acid reflux. Those people should see their doctor. They may need a PPI.

Consumer Reports Health notes that people who do need PPIs could save about $200 a month by asking their doctor for an alternative to Nexium such as Prilosec OTC or its generic version, omeprazole OTC, which costs less than $1 a day. Preavacid24H, an over-the-counter version of Prevacid (lansoprazole), could arrive as early as mid-November, providing another good option for consumers.