OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of diabetes in the Valencia Region, focusing on the spatial variability of the antidiabetic drugs prescription and the pharmacological cost per patient.

METHODS:

A database was designed containing a register of all prescriptions issued in the health care centres and hospitals in 2015 and the diagnostic categories associated with the patients.To analyse the differences in prescription we study the variations in both the categories of the drugs and the average pharmacological cost per patient in the health care centres. We utilize spatial analysis tools to find out possible geographical patterns, and determine the main therapeutic choices used in each health care centre and health district. Finally we use the recommendations published by the American Diabetes Association to evaluate the prescription issued according to the clinical information available.

RESULTS:

The model obtained shows a high variability in both the prescription and the costs, and a strong spatial dependence in the variables. The southern part of the region presents in general a significant higher cost, which cannot be explained by the differences in the health care status.

CONCLUSIONS:

The clinical prescriptions of antidiabetic drugs do not fit in general lines the recommendations provided by the American Diabetes Association. The variability in the treatments is not related to a significant difference in the patients’ state of health, which suggests that the GP preferences are a crucial factor in the final decision. In order to standardise this selection, the development and put into practice of clinical guidelines could be a useful tool.