Pharmacoeconomical evaluation of prescribing trends and prescription cost analysis of anti-diabetic drugs in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT

This study deals with the pharmacoeconomical evaluation of the prescribing trends and prescription cost analysis of anti-diabetic drugs in UK from 1999-2015. The trend and cost estimation have been performed by the help of prescription cost analysis [PCA] data provided by National Health Service [NHS], UK. In addition to PCA, the trend of prescribing new drugs developed for type-II diabetes has also been studied. A dramatic increase in cost and number of diabetic drugs dispensation has been observed. The total number of diabetic prescriptions from 1999 to 2015 has significantly increased from 1,01,70,700 to 4,17,92,000 while the rise in total cost during the same period is found to be from pound 13,66,13,200 to pound 74,71,36,500. The largest proportion of cost was spent on insulin until 2013 followed by oral hypoglycemic agents, in spite the fact that they were three times more prescribed than insulin. However, in the last two years, the cost of oral hypoglycemics has superseded insulin. Biguanides [metformin]were the highly prescribed drugs among oral hypoglycemic followed by sulfonylureas and thiazolidinones. The relatively two new groups of drugs i.e. glucagon like peptide-1[GLP-1] mimeticsand dipeptidyl peptidase [DPP-IV] inhibitors are comparatively more expensive than the conventional anti-diabetic drugs but still a rise in their prescribing has also been noted from the year 2007 and onwards. A decrease in prescribing of alpha glucosidase inhibitors has been observed. It is concluded that the prevalence of diabetes is constantly increasing with the passage of time and it would be a great challenge in future to control it due to aging and high obesity rates in UK