gms | German Medical Science

Background: Diabetes is one of the greatest challenges to the health system in most high income health systems. In the last years, many new classes of oral antidiabetic drugs have been marketed. Recommendations by evidence-based clinical guidelines are varying. Therefore it is of interest, how relevant prescriptions of these classes are in ambulatory care, and whether there are switches between the classes.

Materials and Methods: A large cohort of more than 180.000 patients from a large German regional statutory insurance fund with (clinically assured) diabetes could be included and followed up from 2011 to 2013 based on administrative data of the fund. We analyse the pharmacotherapy of diabetes in the selected patients in 2011 and 2013, compare the individual prescriptions with recommended therapy schemes of guidelines (Nationale Versorgungsleitlinie ‘Therapie des Typ-2-Diabetes’), and search for therapy escalation and switches between oral drug classes between 2011 and 2013. Regression analysis will adjust for socio-demographic, diabetes-specific and co-morbid factors. The influence of participation in the German Disease management Program ‘Diabetes Typ 2’ will be considered as well.

(Expected) Results: Data analysis is currently under way. The results will be presented at the conference.

Conclusion: Trends in the pharmacotherapy of diabetes will be identified based on individual patient ‘careers’.