Prescription Pattern of Antidiabetic Drugs in a Private Medical Facility in Lagos

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a life-threatening disease which requires life-long therapy. Adherence to guidelines on rational drug use and diabetic care will optimize the care of patients with DM. This study aimed to investigate the prescription patterns in DM and determine their compliance to guidelines on diabetic care and rational drug use. A retrospective study of prescription patterns of anti-diabetic drugs was carried out in a private facility in Lagos.Achecklist was used to obtain data from case notes focusing on demographic variables, drugs, pre-treatment and post- treatment fasting capillary glucose. Atotal of 144 prescriptions were reviewed from the 85 case files of diabetic patients attending the clinic over a one year period. All the patients were managed for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metformin was the most commonly prescribed drug (all the patients were on metformin) and the only drug used in monotherapy. This was followed by glibenclamide, vidagliptin and saxagliptin. Majority (54.12%) of the patients were on two drugs for the control of hyperglycaemia. Metformin and glibenclamide were the most commonly co-prescribed drugs. About 72.9% of all prescriptions were generic while 27.08% of the prescription was given as fixed dose with metformin. Only one of the participants had a good glycaemic control during the period review. Adherence to rational drug use and diabetic care guidelines was suboptimal. The glycaemic control was poor in the population studied.

Key words - prescription patterns, antidiabetic drugs, glycaemic control, Lagos