OBJECTIVES: Researches have demonstrated the value of community based, protocol driven care in the management of diabetes; however, real-world evidence describing treatment pattern of type-2 diabetes in primary healthcare setting in China lacks. We aim to investigate the real-world treatment pattern for those diagnosed with type-2 diabetes in Chinese community population. METHODS: A retrospective database study was conducted. Data were obtained from the Minhang community-based EMR database, which cover medical encounter records from community clinics/hospitals in the Minhang district of Shanghai, China. Patients aged over 18 and diagnosed with type-2 diabetes between 2010 and 2014 with 6 month treatment naive period before first diagnosis and 1-year follow-up after first prescription of anti-diabetic medication were included in the study. Patient baseline characteristics, treatment pattern including switching were collected. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.RESULTS: A total of 32,363 patients were identified. Mean age was 69.9, 81.6% over 60. Male accounted for 44.7%. Median BMI was 24.0. 11.9% patients smoked and 4.0% were heavy smoker. 16.7% patients drunk and 31.0% were heavy drinker. Mean systolic blood pressure (BP) measured 147.4; mean diastolic BP measured 89.1. Hypertension and dyslipidemia ranked top co-morbidities, with 85.2% and 46.7% patients respectively. Sulfonylureas was the top initiation medication (58.3%), followed by biguanide (34.6%) and α-glucosidase inhibitors (18.4%). 70.8% patients started with one oral antidiabetic drug (OAD). 75.2% patients experienced antidiabetic therapy switch during 1-year follow-up period, with 85.0% switched from OAD to other OAD and 5.10% from OAD only to insulin. 10.1% patients started with insulin, with premixed human insulin accounting for 99.0%. We also observed 6.6% insulin to OAD(s) switch, which would require further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings outlined the type-2 diabetes treatment pattern in Chinese primary healthcare setting, which provided scientific insight for real-world diabetes treatment in China. Note: Co-1st-author: Yue Gao, Linli Chen; Corresponding-author: Bao Liu.