Diabetic Nephropathy: Prescription Trends in Tertiary Care

Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end stage renal disease. Drug utilization studies could promote rational drug use. The objective of this study was to evaluate prescribing trends in hospitalized patients with diabetic nephropathy. A prospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital. The demographic, disease and treatment data of patients with diabetic nephropathy were collected for a period of six months and analysed. Drugs were classified using World Health Organization recommended Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical classification. A total of 755 drugs (7.4 drugs per prescription) were prescribed to 102 study patients, who were all hypertensive and in late stages of diabetic nephropathy. Drug classes with largest representation were those acting on gastrointestinal tract plus metabolism (37%) and cardiovascular drugs (28%). Calcium channel blockers represented the largest antihypertensive drug class (41%). Almost three-fourths of patients received more than one antihypertensive agent. Approximately 37% of patients did not receive any antidiabetic medication. Of those who did, prescriptions for insulin (91%) exceeded those of oral hypoglycaemic drugs (9%). Antimicrobials accounted for 10.2% of all drugs prescribed, of which 31.8% were quinolones. Drugs prescribed by generic name accounted for 11.98%. While all patients received antihypertensive therapy, more than a third were not on any antidiabetic treatment. Antihypertensive poly-therapy was observed in the majority with calcium channel blockers being most frequently prescribed antihypertensive drug class. Insulin was the preferred to hypoglycaemic drugs.