Medication use and disease management of type 2 diabetes in Belgium

The aim of this study was (International Diabetes Federation. Diabetes Atlas Second Edition Executive Summary. Brussels: International Diabetes Federation; 2003) to describe the current status of medication use and disease management of type 2 diabetic patients in Flanders (Belgium), (World Health Organization. Prevention of diabetes mellitus. Technical report series no. 844. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1994) to identify the aspects of type 2 diabetes care a community pharmacist could provide additional educational services for, and (American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care 2006;29:S4-42) to propose these services as a pharmacist intervention.

We recruited 338 patients in 77 community pharmacies in Flanders (Belgium). Each patient completed a questionnaire collecting personal data, information on duration of diabetes, medication, diabetes symptoms and self-management. At inclusion, patients measured their fasting plasma glucose (FPG) on three consecutive days. Prescription drugs (antidiabetic and other) purchased by each patient during the 12 months prior to inclusion in the study were reviewed from anonymized computerized pharmacy records.

Degree of self-management, glycaemic control and medication use.

The mean FPG of the sample was 150.7+/-43.0 mg/dl. Controlled glycaemia (FPG between 90 and 130 mg/dl (5.0-7.2 mmol/l)) was achieved in only 34.9% of the patients. Mainstay of hypoglycemic treatment consisted of metformin monotherapy (29.6%) and metformin combined with sulfonylurea (29.0%). Regarding co-medication, 76.9% of the patients used antihypertensive drugs whereas only 33.1% and 39.9% were on aspirin and statin therapy, respectively. ADA recommendations for annual eye and foot examination were not followed in 38.8% (eye) and 39.2% (feet) of the patients.

The current management of type 2 diabetic Flemish patients falls short of recommended treatment goals. Community pharmacists may play a role in enhancing the awareness of glycaemic control and in stimulating self-management in diabetic patients by motivating patients towards correct medication use, better medication adherence, healthy lifestyle and smoking cessation.