Abstract
The treatment of diabetes in the elderly is a major challenge both in terms of clinical management and of public health. Evidence about prescribing patterns in the elderly diabetic population is limited. The aim was to describe trends in antidiabetic drug (AD) utilization patterns in the elderly in Southern Italy with a focus on drugs for cardiovascular prevention and pharmaceutical costs. The data used for this study were obtained from pharmacy records of Caserta Local Health Authority, a province in Southern Italy with 1 million of inhabitants, comprising urban and rural areas. Subjects above 65 years who received at least one dispensing of antidiabetic between January 2010 and December 2014 were selected. Prevalence and incidence rates (%) of AD use were calculated for each calendar year and stratified by class therapy and age group. Sub-analyses by cardiovascular co-medication therapy and pharmaceutical cost analysis were performed. The prevalence rate decreases from 22.0% in 2010 to 17.5% in 2014 (p<0.001). Proportion of subjects treated with monotherapy increases over the study period (33.9% in 2010; 38.6% in 2014; p<0.001). In particular, increases the proportion of users of metformin (18.2% in 2010; 23.7% in 2014; p<0.001), while the proportion of users of sulfonylureas dropped (11.0% in 2010; 7.2% in 2014; p< 0.001). About 90% of elderly diabetic patients are treated with drugs for cardiovascular prevention. The per/patient/yearly drug costs were 2,349 ∈: 28.5% for AD therapy and 71.5% for other treatments. Trend in drug utilization patterns showed a tendency towards treatment recommendations in older adults.
Keywords: Drug utilization, antidiabetic drugs, elderly, administrative databases, prescription patterns, cardiovascular prevention.
Current Diabetes Reviews
Title:Prescription Patterns of Antidiabetic Treatment in the Elderly. Results from Southern Italy
Volume: 12 Issue: 2
Author(s): Valentina Orlando, Francesca Guerriero, Daria Putignano, Valeria M. Monetti, Daniele U. Tari, Giuseppin Farina, Maddalena Illario, Guido Iaccarino and Enrica Menditto
Affiliation:
Keywords: Drug utilization, antidiabetic drugs, elderly, administrative databases, prescription patterns, cardiovascular prevention.
Abstract: The treatment of diabetes in the elderly is a major challenge both in terms of clinical management and of public health. Evidence about prescribing patterns in the elderly diabetic population is limited. The aim was to describe trends in antidiabetic drug (AD) utilization patterns in the elderly in Southern Italy with a focus on drugs for cardiovascular prevention and pharmaceutical costs. The data used for this study were obtained from pharmacy records of Caserta Local Health Authority, a province in Southern Italy with 1 million of inhabitants, comprising urban and rural areas. Subjects above 65 years who received at least one dispensing of antidiabetic between January 2010 and December 2014 were selected. Prevalence and incidence rates (%) of AD use were calculated for each calendar year and stratified by class therapy and age group. Sub-analyses by cardiovascular co-medication therapy and pharmaceutical cost analysis were performed. The prevalence rate decreases from 22.0% in 2010 to 17.5% in 2014 (p<0.001). Proportion of subjects treated with monotherapy increases over the study period (33.9% in 2010; 38.6% in 2014; p<0.001). In particular, increases the proportion of users of metformin (18.2% in 2010; 23.7% in 2014; p<0.001), while the proportion of users of sulfonylureas dropped (11.0% in 2010; 7.2% in 2014; p< 0.001). About 90% of elderly diabetic patients are treated with drugs for cardiovascular prevention. The per/patient/yearly drug costs were 2,349 ∈: 28.5% for AD therapy and 71.5% for other treatments. Trend in drug utilization patterns showed a tendency towards treatment recommendations in older adults.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Orlando Valentina, Guerriero Francesca, Putignano Daria, Monetti M. Valeria, Tari U. Daniele, Farina Giuseppin, Illario Maddalena, Iaccarino Guido and Menditto Enrica, Prescription Patterns of Antidiabetic Treatment in the Elderly. Results from Southern Italy, Current Diabetes Reviews 2016; 12 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573399811666150701120408
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573399811666150701120408 |
Print ISSN 1573-3998 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6417 |
![](/images/wayfinder.jpg)
- Author Guidelines
- Bentham Author Support Services (BASS)
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Pharmacological Potential of Exercise and RAS Vasoactive Peptides for Prevention of Diseases
Current Protein & Peptide Science What Does the Future Hold for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis?
Current Vascular Pharmacology Increased Risk of Falls, Fall-related Injuries and Fractures in People with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes - A Nationwide Cohort Study
Current Drug Safety Efficacy and Safety of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Post-transplant Diabetes Mellitus (PTDM)- a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Current Diabetes Reviews Design of SGLT2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: A History Driven by Biology to Chemistry
Medicinal Chemistry Molecular and Biochemical Changes of the Cardiovascular System due to Smoking Exposure
Current Pharmaceutical Design Use of Clinically Available PPAR Agonists for Heart Failure; Do the Risks Outweigh the Potential Benefits?
Current Molecular Pharmacology Future Challenges for Microsomal Transport Protein Inhibitors
Current Vascular Pharmacology Does Perioperative Hemoglobin A1c Level Affect the Incidence, Pattern and Mortality of Lower Extremity Amputation?
Current Vascular Pharmacology Patent Selections
Recent Patents on Cardiovascular Drug Discovery Epigenetics Changes in the RA Synovium
Current Rheumatology Reviews Pharmacological Inhibition of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B: A Promising Strategy for the Treatment of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Place of Somatostatin Analogs in the Diagnosis and Treatment of the Neuoroendocrine Glands Tumors
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Editorial (Mini Hot-Topic: Determination of the Antioxidant Capacity of Dietary Substances and Extracts from Natural Sources at Molecular, Cellular And Whole Tissue Level: Sensors and Complex Microfluidic Structures)
Current Analytical Chemistry A Systematic Review of a Naturally Occurring Iridoid: Catalpol
Current Bioactive Compounds The Role of Orexin System in Antipsychotics Induced Weight Gain
Current Psychiatry Reviews Risks Associated with SGLT2 Inhibitors: An Overview
Current Drug Safety Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Drug Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema: The Evolution Continues
Current Diabetes Reviews Glucocorticoids, the Etiology of Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome
Current Alzheimer Research Vascular and Cellular Calcium in Normal and Hypertensive Pregnancy
Current Clinical Pharmacology