The prescribing pattern of anti diabetic agents in Outpatient Pharmacy Department, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang / Mohamad Fahmi Hashim

Diabetes Mellitus is a major health problem in most countries and is growing concerns in Malaysia with prevalence of diabetes has steadily increased. So, it is important to us to recognize the common anti diabetic drugs that have prescribed by the doctors to ensure the drugs are safe, efficacious and in good quality to the patients. The aims of this study is to determine the common types of anti diabetic agents used in hospital HT AR and to determine whether the drugs used is similar with suggested by the literature studies . The research was conducted retrospectively at Outpatient Department of HTAR, Klang and the data were collected for 3 months that was in May, June and August 2008. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and SPSS software Version 12.0. All prescriptions received in these three months were screening and prescription with anti diabetic agents was identified. The averages of total anti diabetic prescriptions per day are 41 prescriptions and contribute to 5.5 % from total prescription received of HTAR per day. The frequencies of anti diabetic agents were record and then separated into two groups that are insulin preparation and oral hypoglycemic drugs. According to the data collected, its show the existence of differences in the treatment of diabetes which oral hypoglycemic agents contribute about 74% compare to insulin preparation that are only 26%.For insulin preparation, pre mixed insulin be the most frequent prescribed 70% compare to others and for oral, the physicians more prefer to prescribe metformin follow by gliclazide, glibenclamide and lastly acarbose.