Prescribing pattern of glucose lowering drugs in The United Kingdom in the last decade: a focus on the effects of safety warnings about rosiglitazone
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 08/03/2012
Clinical Article
Leal I et al. – The prescription of glucose lowering drugs (GLDs) in the UK increased in the last decade, for thiazolidinediones (TZD), it changed after May 2007 as well as the characteristics of subject treated with them.
Methods- Annual prevalence and incidence of GLD prescription were measured.
- For TZD, the monthly prevalence and incidence of prescription were calculated from May 2006 to January 2009.
- The switching pattern around the FDA alert and the characteristics of subjects starting treatment with TZD before and after the alerts were observed.
- The prevalence of prescriptions of GLD increased during the 10-years period, metformin increasing more than three times.
- Rosiglitazone prevalence showed an increased trend until May 2007, (2.3/1000 person-years) and decreased thereafter (Jan 2009: 1.1/1000 person-years).
- The use of pioglitazone increased surpassing rosiglitazone from April 2008 onwards.
- The incidence of rosiglitazone use decreased sharply after May 2007 (0.8/1000 person-years).
- The prevalence of use of other therapies remained rather stable from 2000 to 2007 but increased afterwards.
- After May 2007, rosiglitazone users were increasingly switched to pioglitazone.
- There was an increased proportion of new users of pioglitazone with cardiovascular risk after the alerts.
