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Dispensing patterns for antidiabetic agents in New Zealand: are the guidelines being followed?
Peter Murray1, Hew Norris2, Scott Metcalfe1
1Medical Directorate, PHARMAC, Wellington.
Aims:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant public health issue in New Zealand. Effective management and glycaemic control is critical for reducing diabetes-related complications. Treatment guidelines are well established in New Zealand. Using dispensing data as a proxy for prescribing data, this paper aims to describe the pattern of first- and second-line antidiabetic agent (AA) dispensing for T2DM in New Zealand and assess adherence with treatment guidelines.
Methods:
Analysis of national dispensing data for AA medications using the Pharmaceutical Collection database from 2007/08 to 2015/16.
Results:
Metformin monotherapy remains the most commonly prescribed first-line T2DM medication prescribed, accounting for 85% of initial agents prescribed. Sulfonylureas are the most common second-line agents used, accounting for 70% of all second-line agents.
Conclusion:
There is a high degree of adherence with the T2DM treatment guidelines in New Zealand.
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