Antidiabetic drug utilization in hungary.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the utilization trends of antidiabetics in Hungary.

METHOD

The analysis includes the drugs of antidiabetic therapy which were registered between 1998 and 2002 in Hungary. The consumption of antidiabetic drugs was analyzed by the ATC/Defined Daily Dose (DDD) method. The data used in this study were derived from the National Health Insurance and from MIS Consulting Company.

RESULTS

Between 1998 and 2002, the total consumption of antidiabetics increased by 41.8%, and reached 47.59 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in 2002. The consumption of oral antidiabetics (OAD) increased by 33.41% (33.86 DDD/1000 inhabitants/d ay in 2002), while in the case of insulin the increase was 67.8% (13.74 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day). Sulphonylureas were the most frequently used class (21.11 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in 2002). Glibenclamide was the most frequently used antidiabetic drug (12.63 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in 2002).

CONCLUSION

The insulin class had greater emphasis in therapy. Among OAD, the consumption rate of sulphonylureas decreased and the consumption rate of Biguanides and acarbose increased. By 2002 metformin replaced 90% of the buformin in use. The limited effect of therapeutic recommendations could explain these changes, although the out-of-date buformin and the non-micronized glibenclamide were still in use in 2002.