Utilization study on prescribing pattern and rational use of antidiabetic drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

ABSTRACT Background: Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the risk of developing diabetes, with chronic hyperglycemia causing severe complications like cardiovascular diseases, neuropathy, nephropathy, and vision impairment. Aim: The aim of this research is to study prescription patterns of anti-diabetic drugs in a government primary healthcare center and to determine whether patterns were in accordance with international guidelines. Settings and Design: This study is a single-site cross-sectional study, conducted at Al-Takhasossi Primary Healthcare Center in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from medical records from January 2023 to July 2023, using convenient sampling from patient electronic files. Statistical Analysis: The Chi-square test is employed to evaluate the association between categorical data. The data were presented as the actual number, mean, and percentage. Level of significance: P ≤0.05. Results: Our study included 200 diabetic patients, 58% were male, and 42% were female. The majority were aged 51–70. The initial hemoglobin A1C (>8.0) recorded showed that all patients had poor diabetes control, with only 1% achieving normal control afterward. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (59.1%). Metformin was the most prescribed drug (33.1%). Combination therapies (33.4%) were prevalent, with metformin + gliclazide + sitagliptin being the most common (18.9%). Factors such as therapy type and age significantly influenced diabetic control and prescription patterns. The type of therapy is strongly associated ( P < 0.001) with combination therapy having poorer control. Fasting plasma glucose and random blood sugar levels also significantly differ between good and poor control groups ( P < 0.05). Age significantly correlates with the number of drugs prescribed ( P = 0.029), with older age groups receiving more medication. Conclusions: We observed in our research that it is imperative to raise awareness regarding prescribing trends and the prescription of additional medications in accordance with treatment guidelines.