Drug Utilization Review of Anti-Diabetic Medications and Therapeutic outcome in type 2 Diabetes in a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Nigeria

Background: Attainment of therapeutic goals in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) necessitates the rational use of drugs, given the wide options available and the presence of co-morbid diseases.

Objectives: To evaluate the drug utilization parameters and short- term outcome of pharmacotherapy in T2DM patients attending a tertiary hospital in Northern Nigeria.

Methods: Data was obtained from the folders of outpatients that attended clinic between June 2010 and June 2011 using a structured proforma and analyzed with descriptive statistics and chi square.

Results: The mean number of drugs per prescription was 5.29 ± 0.09, while drugs prescribed from the Essential Drug List were 48.1%. Generic, proprietary prescriptions and fixed dose combinations were 66.72%, 33.27% and 5.91% respectively. The number of encounters with an injection and an antibiotic, were 18(16.38%) and 19 (17.27%) respectively. There was a therapy change in 71.9%, whereas 29.1% had a same drug same dose prescription. Metformin-glibenclamide therapy was most utilized (53.27%). There was no statistically significant difference between the outcome of therapy in patients with initial poor glycaemic control and those with optimum glycaemic control. Hypertension was the commonest co-morbid disease (86.1%) with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors being most prescribed (72.52%) antihypertensive drugs.

Conclusion: Utilization of anti-diabetic agents was rational. However outcome of therapy in patients studied could still be improved by close monitoring of patient factors that may affect efficacy and encouraging patients' adherence.