Trends in the prescription of antidiabetic medications from 2009 to 2012 in a general practice of Southern Italy: A population-based study. Issue 1 (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rafaniello, Concetta; Arcoraci, Vincenzo; Ferrajolo, Carmen; Sportiello, Liberata; Sullo, Maria Giuseppa; Giorgianni, Francesco; Trifirò, Gianluca; Tari, Michele; Caputi, Achille P.; Rossi, Francesco; Esposito, Katherine; Giugliano, Dario; Capuano, Annalisa
• Is Part Of: Diabetes research and clinical practice. Volume 108:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 157
• Page End: 163
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: Diabetes -- Periodicals; Diabetes Mellitus -- Periodicals; 616.462
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2014.12.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0168-8227

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <title id="sect0010">Objective</title> <p id="spar0005">To assess the prescribing pattern of antidiabetic drugs (AD) in a general practice of Southern Italy from 2009 to 2012, with focus on behaviour prescribing changes.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0015">Methods</title> <p id="spar0010">This retrospective, drug utilization study was conducted using administrative databases of the Local Health Unit of Caserta (Southern Italy) including about 1 million citizens. The standardized prevalence of AD use was calculated within each study year. A sample cohort of 78, 789 subjects with at least one prescription of AD was identified during the study period.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0020">Results</title> <p id="spar0015">There was an overall increase of the proportion of the patients treated with monotherapy, which was significant for insulin monotherapy (from 11.2 to 14.6%, <italic>p</italic> < 0.001). The proportion of patients treated with metformin remained stable (from 68.3% to 67.8%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.076), while those receiving sulfonylurea dropped from 18.4% to 12.5% (<italic>p</italic> < 0.001); GLP-1 analogues and DPP-4 inhibitors showed the greatest increase (from 1.2% to 6.6%, <italic>p</italic> < 0.001). In the whole sample of 25, 148 new AD users, metformin was the most commonly prescribed drug in monotherapy (41.9%), while insulin ranked second (13.3%).</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0025">Conclusion</title> <p id="spar0020">This study shows a rising trend of AD monotherapy, with sulfonylureas and incretins showing the more negative and positive trend, respectively.</p> </sec> </abstract>