HOW MANY ELDERLY GENERAL-PRACTICE PATIENTS TAKING REGULAR NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS CAN BE CONVERTED TO TAKING REGULAR PARACETAMOL

All patients over 65 years of age taking regular non-steroidal anti-in flammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were identified from computerised repeat pre scription records in two general practices. All eligible patients were invited to convert to regular paracetamol therapy Ineligibility inclu ded an inflammatory arthropathy, dementia, major psychosis, malignancy or adverse social circumstances. Of the 222 (14%) patients who were t aking regular NSAIDs, mostly for osteoarthritis of the knees, 96 were invited to enter the study but only 42 accepted. Patients were monitor ed for one month on their regular therapy and for a subsequent month o n paracetamol 1g qds. After the second month, 17 of 42 elected to cont inue with paracetamol alone; at six months, 14 patients were still tak ing paracetamol and at 12 months, only eight patients remained on para cetamol (8% of eligible population, 4% of total population taking NSAI Ds). This figure is likely to be an underestimate because some patient s converted to paracetamol as soon as the reasons for the study were e xplained.