OBJECTIVES: To describe the use NSAIDs in a population of patients with osteoarthritis  newly-treated (2009) by a symptomatic slow acting drugs for Osteoarthritis  (SYSADOA) METHODS: The Disease Analyzer database (IMS), which collects medical data from 1240 representative French GPs was used.  Patients over 50 y of age were included over a period of one year where a diagnosis of osteoarthritis associated with the initiation of an SYSADOA prescription was identified in the DA database (patient had been monitored for at least 6 months). RESULTS: In total, 3141 patients were included in the study. The patient profile is similar regardless of the treatment group considered (68% female, average age of 66, 50% patients the diagnosis dates from less than 1 year). The use of NSAIDs at the outset does not significantly differ among the groups of patients (25%). About 30% of patients discontinue their NSAID therapy upon initiation of treatment with SYSADOA. This proportion did not vary significantly with the SYSADOA considered.  More than 40% of patients discontinued treatment with NSAIDs during the 6-month follow-up period. 20% of patients who continued treatment with NSAIDs increased the dosage or duration of the NSAID therapy. About 45% of patients benefited from a co-prescription of analgesics during the initiation of treatment with SYSADOA. This rate did not significantly vary among groups of patients. 21% of patients discontinued their treatment with analgesics after initiation of treatment with SSAAO. This proportion did not vary significantly with the SYSADOA considered.  CONCLUSIONS: It is generally accepted that an economy of 20% of NSAIDs has a major impact on public health. Regardless of the prescribed SYSADOA, NSAID interruptions at initiation are approximately 30%, and nearly two thirds of patients with co-prescriptions of NSAIDs at the start of treatment stop or reduce this treatment within 6 months.  The cost of complications related to anti-inflammatory drugs would be around 150 million Euros.