Drug utilization of oral hypoglycemic agents in a university teaching hospital in India.

India has witnessed a rapidly exploding epidemic of diabetes in recent years and currently leads the world with the largest number of diabetic subjects in a single country. World Health Organization estimates that in 2000, 31.7 million individuals were affected by diabetes in India and these numbers will rise to 79.4 millions by the year 2030. In view of the above situation, drug utilization review of antidiabetic medicines in Indian healthcare settings has a valid significance to promote rational drug use in diabetics. The present study is aimed to determine the drug utilization patterns in type 2 diabetic patients on oral hypoglycemic agents in the Medicine Outpatient Department (OPD) and Inpatient Department (IPD) of Majeedia Hospital, a teaching hospital of Hamdard University, New Delhi. Patients with established type 2 diabetes (n = 218) visiting the OPD and IPD were interviewed using a structured questionnaire during the period January-May 2006. A majority of the type 2 diabetic patients in this setting were treated with multiple antidiabetic drug therapy. The most commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug class was biguanides (metformin) followed by sulphonylureas (glimepiride), thiazolidinediones (pioglitazone), insulin and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (miglitol). As monotherapy insulin was the most common choice followed by metformin. The most prevalent multiple therapy was a three-drug combination of glimepiride  + metformin + pioglitazone. More than half of the type 2 diabetic patients showed poor adherence (compliance) to the prescribed therapy. This study strongly highlights the need for patient education or counselling on use of antidiabetic and concomitant drugs, monitoring of blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, diet control, and correction of diabetic complications. Metabolic control was poor and HbA1c monitoring was underutilized. Clinical monitoring of patients' adherence to prescribed treatments is recommended and measures should be taken to improve it.