ABSTRACT
To compare the economic efficacies of the oral antidiabetic drugs in National Essential Medicine for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus.200 diabetic patients with body mass indices between 19-27 kg/m2 were assigned into 5 groups:group A received glibenclamide,group B glipizide,group C metformin,group D glibenclamide +metformin,and group E glipizide + metformin.Pharmacoeconomic evaluation was performed by cost-effectiveness analysis( CEA ).Fasting glucose level in patients treated with these 5 drugs all decreased significantly,as well as HbA1c.Glibenclamide was more in line with the principles of pharmacoeconomics,but should be used carefully for its serious and prolonged hypoglycemia,especially in elderly patients.According to the method of cost-effectiveness analysis,it was more economical to use metformin to control fasting glucose level while it is more reasonable to use glipizide to control the postprandial glucose whereas controlling of postprandial blood glucose is considered as a priority.Glipizide+mefformin combination may be recommended to the patients whose blood glucose level is poorly controlled by a single drug alone.