ASSESSMENT OF DRUG UTILIZATION PATTERN AND ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus is a long-term chronic metabolic disorder where pharmacotherapy is a requirement to treat the underlying condition and includes comorbidities which creates polypharmacy with an increased potential for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The objective of this study was to evaluate drug use and determine the occurrence of ADRs among diabetic patients treated at a tertiary care.A prospective, observational study was done with diabetic patients being treated in outpatient and inpatient settings. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, medications prescribed, and medications associated with the ADRs, were collected and analyzed.Based on the type of antidiabetic medications used and how frequently they were prescribed, drug utilization was assessed. ADRs were evaluated for causality, severity, and outcome.According to the results, the most commonly prescribed drugs included the oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) such as metformin followed by insulin and combination therapies. Many patients were prescribed multiple medications (polypharmacy) due to co-existing conditions (e.g., hypertension and dyslipidemia).Many of the ADRs associated with the use of these medications occurred: the three most often reported ADRs were hypoglycemia, gastrointestinal disturbances, and dizziness. Most of the reported ADRs were classified as mild-to-moderate in severity and were effectively managed without any major complications.The results of this study indicate that healthcare providers should use rational prescribing and will benefit from ongoing monitoring of their patients as well as enabling pharmacovigilance opportunities to improve treatment outcomes in diabetic patients while ensuring their patients are safe from drug-related issues.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Drug utilization pattern, Adverse drug reactions, Pharmacovigilance, Polypharmacy, Antidiabetic drugs, Metformin, Insulin therapy, Rational prescribing, Tertiary care hospital.