{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T14:57:51Z","timestamp":1780412271565,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]],"date-time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1716336000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Food, Health &amp; Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmacy"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The shift of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) from prescription to nonprescription (nonRx) status in Canada has altered pharmacist treatment options for heartburn. This report examines pharmacist approaches to therapy based on case severity; pharmacist confidence and consult duration were also explored. A 2022 online survey gathered data from Ontario and Qu\u00e9bec pharmacists regarding their therapeutic approaches for two hypothetical heartburn cases. A total of 715 pharmacists participated, with most having 1\u201310 years of experience. In Ontario, common choices for the milder case included a solo histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) (21.2%), combination H2RA + antacid (29.4%), and nonRx PPI (22.3%). For the more severe case, common choices for Qu\u00e9bec were switches to nonRx H2RA (22.1%), combination H2RA + antacid (13.4%), a nonRx PPI (24.9%), or prescription PPI (22.5%). Pharmacists often recommended switching medications or referring patients with recurring symptoms after seven days. The approaches varied significantly between cases and provinces. The Ontario pharmacists favoured a combination H2RA + antacid for the milder case, while the Qu\u00e9bec pharmacists preferred a solo H2RA. For the more severe case, both groups often chose nonRx H2RA followed by nonRx PPI. Despite the differences, the pharmacists demonstrated confidence in managing these situations. These findings highlight potential debates regarding optimal therapeutic approaches and the impact of drug scheduling on patient care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmacy12030081","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]],"date-time":"2024-05-22T11:03:47Z","timestamp":1716375827000},"page":"81","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Treatment of Heartburn: A Survey of Ontario and Qu\u00e9bec Community Pharmacists"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6066-2522","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nardine R.","family":"Nakhla","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5084-4357","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sherilyn K. D.","family":"Houle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jeffrey G.","family":"Taylor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"853","DOI":"10.1097\/00005650-198008000-00006","article-title":"Self-care: A health diary study","volume":"18","author":"Freer","year":"1980","journal-title":"Med. Care"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Elliott, A.M., McAteer, A., and Hannaford, P.C. (2011). Revisiting the symptom iceberg in today\u2019s primary care: Results from a UK population survey. BMC Fam. 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