Prescription patterns and the cost of antihyperglycemic drugs in patients with diabetes mellitus in Iran from 2014 to 2019

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by high blood glucose levels and abnormalities in metabolism. In 2021, 15.14% of adult Iranians had DM. The purpose of this study is to provide policymakers with actionable insights to enhance resource allocation and improve diabetes care by evaluating the prescription patterns and costs of antidiabetic medications in Iran from 2014 to 2019 in 2.5 million patients. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study used data from Iran's Health Insurance prescriptions database, analyzing approximately 2.5 million diabetic patients from 2014 to 2019. Data included drug types, frequencies, costs, and patient demographics. RESULTS: The analysis covered 20,233,608 prescriptions. Biguanides, sulfonylureas, and Insulin were the most commonly prescribed medications. Moreover, the 40-64 age group had the highest cost. Prescription patterns varied by age, with insulin in younger patients and Metformin in older ones. General practitioners, internal medicine specialists, and endocrinologists were the primary prescribers of anti-diabetic medications. Insulin Aspart incurred the highest costs, followed by Insulin glargine and metformin. The cost of females' antidiabetic medications was 1.66 times higher than those of males. CONCLUSION: Insulin was the primary cost driver for antihyperglycemic medications. These cost disparities and variations in prescription patterns underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve diabetes care and manage resources effectively.