ANTIDIABETIC DRUGS UTILIZATION PATTERNS IN A NIGERIAN TERTIARY HEALTHCARE FACILITY

Abstract

Worldwide, diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a public health care problem. Studies have
shown that DM is on an alarming rise in Nigeria, and antidiabetic medications are the mainstay
for its management. Rational use of antidiabetics is important in achieving desired therapeutic
outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing antidiabetic drug utilization patterns at the
Medical Out-Patients Department (MOPD) of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital
(ABUTH). A prospective, cross-sectional study design was used for data collection on a sample
of 603 patients who attended the facility between 8th June and 28th September 2015. Data were
collected according to the World Health Organization (WHO) method for drug utilization studies.
The results showed that an average of 1.8 antidiabetics was observed per prescription. Oral
antidiabetic drugs (OADs) (with 6.045 Defined Daily Dose, DDD/1000 patients/day) were 49.55
times more utilized than insulin (with 0.122 DDD/1000 patients/day). Metformin, with 4.358
DDD/1000 patients/day was the most utilized OAD. The cost/DDD within the DU90% segment
was NGN 1,786.46 (US$8.97). In conclusion, metformin was the most utilized antidiabetic and
the costs of antidiabetics were high in the facility. It is therefore recommended that interventions
to curtail the cost of drugs in the facility should be adopted.