Background: The treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires many classes of drugs, combination of old and new drugs is usually recommended for intensification of therapies. Antidiabetic drug (ADD) utilization study promotes rational use of ADDs and reveals the recent trends in use.
Aims and Objectives: The objective of the study was to analyze drug utilization pattern with particular attention to initiation and intensification of the treatment options in T2DM patients of a diabetes clinic run by endocrinology department of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Eastern India.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional and observational study conducted at the diabetes clinic of a tertiary care Medical College and Hospital of West Bengal over a period of 12 months. After obtaining informed consent, diagnosed adult Type 2 diabetes patients receiving any ADD were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, proportion of each class of ADDs, and WHO core drug use indicators were analyzed.
Results: A total of 298 patients ([167, 56%] males and [131, 44%] females) were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 52.33 ± 9.91. Metformin (287/298, 96%) was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed by glimepiride (168/298, 56.38%), insulins (116/298, 38.93%), DPP4 inhibitors (108/298, 36.24%), and pioglitazone (99/298, 33.22%). Metformin, glimepiride (53/109, 48.62%) and metformin, glimepiride, and pioglitazone (36/113, 31.86%) were the common dual and triple drug combinations.
Conclusion: In Type 2 diabetes, metformin was the preferred agent for initiation of the treatment; glimepiride, insulin, DPP-4is, and pioglitazone were used in combination of metformin for intensification of therapy, consistent with current clinical practice guidelines.
Key words: Antidiabetic Drugs; Drug Utilization; Prescription Audit
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