[Use of glucose-lowering drugs in a primary care setting in Malaga during the years 2008-2012]

The aim of the study is to describe the pattern of use of hypoglycemic agents in a primary health care district of Málaga between the years 2008-2012.

Cross-sectional descriptive study. Málaga health district. Population of 609,781 inhabitants; 42,060 people in the diabetes process. Therapeutic sub-group A10 (drugs used in diabetes). Data is presented as defined daily dose (DDD). Years 2008-2012. Measures of frequency.

The population grew by 0.4% and the people included in the diabetes process, by 19%. The hypoglycemic agents have increased from 12,453,443 to 14,144,817 DDD (13.5%). Oral antidiabetics increased by 13.8% and insulin by 9.7%. Metformin is the most used oral antidiabetic (6,655,923 DDD) and the iDDP4 was the one that had increased more (from 63,882 DDD to 1,482,574). The growth in insulin use was mainly due to the long-acting (38%) and the shorter-acting one (40%). The most used insulin doses are the long-acting ones, followed by the pre-mixed. The proportion of insulin use as regards the use of ADOs has remained stable (31%)., Long-acting (36%) insulin has become the most used, followed by pre-mixed (34%), shorter-acting (16%), and the intermediate-acting (12%).

There is an increase in the use of hypoglycemic agents., Metformin and iDPP4 are the antidiabetics oral with the greatest growth., There is an increase in shorter-acting and long-acting insulins with a decrease in intermediate-acting and pre-mixed., The proportion of oral antidiabetics/insulins has remained stable.