Drug Utilization Pattern and Prescription Profile in Diabetic Patients at A Tertiary Care Hospital: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The objective is to assess the drug utilization pattern and prescribing indicators among diabetic patients attending the diabetic clinic and medicine outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional drug utilization study was conducted in the diabetic clinic and medicine outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital over six months. A total of 610 diabetic patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria were included. Demographic details, type and duration of diabetes, body mass index, comorbidities, antidiabetic drugs, concomitant medications, number of drugs per encounter, generic and brand-name prescribing, injection use, essential medicine list adherence, prescription cost, and PDD:DDD ratio were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Among 610 patients, the majority were aged 46–60 years, and the mean age was 51.74 ± 12.51 years. Females constituted 317 (51.97%) patients, and type 2 diabetes mellitus was present in 582 (95.41%) cases. Overweight was the most common BMI category, observed in 334 (54.76%) patients, while hypertension was the commonest comorbidity, seen in 257 (42.13%). A total of 1139 antidiabetic drugs and 2058 total drugs were prescribed. The average number of antidiabetic drugs per encounter was 1.86 ± 0.70, and the average number of total drugs per encounter was 3.37 ± 2.00. Metformin was the most commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug, used in 557 (91.31%) patients, followed by sulphonylureas in 332 (54.43%) and insulin in 149 (24.43%). Two-drug combination therapy was the most common treatment pattern, observed in 280 (45.90%) patients, with metformin plus glibenclamide being the most frequent combination. Generic prescribing accounted for 557 (48.90%) antidiabetic drugs, while 582 (51.10%) were prescribed by brand name. The average antidiabetic drug cost per encounter was ₹201.93. The PDD:DDD ratio was highest for glimepiride at 1.920. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a metformin-dominant prescribing pattern with frequent use of combination therapy and moderate polypharmacy among diabetic outpatients. Although essential medicine list adherence was satisfactory, generic prescribing remained suboptimal. Regular prescription audits, promotion of generic medicines, and cost-conscious prescribing may improve rational drug use in diabetic outpatient care.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; drug utilization study; antidiabetic drugs; metformin; prescribing pattern; generic prescribing; defined daily dose.