Types of treatments prescribed in a group of diabetic patients in a community pharmacy

Objective: To determine the percentage of patients who are prescribed treatment for diabetes mellitus, type of treatment and comparison with the Plan Integral Diabetes (Junta Andalucía). 

Methods: The study included all patients who accessed the Felisa Baena Pharmacy Linares (Jaen) and wanted to facilitate complete treatment (n = 500). Through an observational study the type of treatment of patients and the relationship with the Plan Integral Diabetes.

Results: It was found that 19.2  % of patients in the study had diabetes, of these, 75% were only treatable orally and 9  % only with insulin. From the results obtained it was found that 80  % of patients were prescribed metformin either in monotherapy, in combination with other oral agents or insulin. Of all patients with diabetes only 1% had prescribed glucagon and 16% test strips, well below the provisions of the Plan Integral Diabetes, which should have been in this case 47  % of patients.

Conclusions: In our environment there is a high number of patients with diabetes, metformin therapy predominating. There is a low percentage of patients who have been prescribed glucagon and test strips compared with the Plan Integral Diabetes, which poses a risk to patient health. Hence the importance of developing health programs from the pharmacy so that patients are aware how to control diabetes.