Medication Prescribing for Type 2 Diabetes in the US Long-Term Care Setting: Observational Study

To characterize prescribing of glucose-lowering medication annually and to quantify the annual frequency of hypoglycemia among residents in long-term care (LTC) facilities with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Serial cross-sectional study using a deidentified real-world database comprising electronic health records from LTC facilities.

Individuals eligible for this study were ≥65 years old with T2DM and recorded stay of ≥100 days at an LTC facility in the United States in any of 5 study years (2016-2020), excluding individuals receiving palliative or hospice care.

Drug orders (prescriptions) for glucose-lowering medications for each LTC resident with T2DM in each calendar year were summarized by administration route (oral or injectable) and by drug class as ever-prescribed (ie, multiple prescriptions were included once), overall and stratified by age subgroup, <3 vs ≥3 comorbidities, and obesity status. We calculated the annual percentage of patients ever prescribed glucose-lowering medication each year, overall and by medication category, who experienced ≥1 hypoglycemic events.

Among 71,200 to 120,861 LTC residents with T2DM included each year from 2016 to 2020, 68% to 73% (depending on the year) were prescribed ≥1 glucose-lowering medications, among them oral agents for 59% to 62% and injectable agents for 70% to 71%. Metformin was the most commonly prescribed oral agent, followed by sulfonylureas and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors; basal plus prandial insulin was the most commonly prescribed injectable regimen. Prescribing patterns remained relatively consistent from 2016 to 2020, both overall and by patient subgroup. During each study year, 35% of LTC residents with T2DM experienced level 1 hypoglycemia (glucose ≥54 to <70 mg/dL), including 10% to 12% of those prescribed only oral agents and ≥44% of those prescribed injectable agents. Overall, 24% to 25% experienced level 2 hypoglycemia (glucose concentration <54 mg/dL).

Study findings suggest that opportunities exist for improving diabetes management for LTC residents with T2DM.