title: Prevalence of drug-treated diabetes mellitus in Belgium. Results of a study with the collaboration of a network of pharmacies.
abstract: Within the framework of a European concerted action on diabetes mellitus (EURODIAB SubArea C), an epidemiological study was established in Belgium in 1990 in order to estimate the prevalence of drug-treated diabetes mellitus. An assessment was made of the sales of insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs and the average daily dose used. A sample of people with diabetes, clients of 107 pharmacies, provided the data to establish average daily doses. Those pharmacies, spread over the 9 provinces of the country, represent 2% of all private pharmacies in Belgium. Over a 2 month period each pharmacist presented a questionnaire to each client receiving an antidiabetic drug. In 1990, 164 per 10,000 inhabitants were treated with antidiabetic drugs, which means that there were approximately 163,000 drug-treated diabetics in Belgium. At the time of the survey 65% of the diabetics in the sample were 60 years or older. Overall, 38% of drug-treated diabetics took insulin, and 30% of them took only human insulin. Treatment type varied by the province where the pharmacy was located. The provinces of Hainaut and Luxembourg-Namur had a higher percentage of diabetics on oral treatment. This is the first description in Belgium of the prevalence of drug-treated diabetes and of the pattern of prescribing of these drugs.
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Hygiène et d'Epidémiologie, Section d'Epidémiologie, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walckiers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van der Veken
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Papoz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stroobant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010594:Pharmacies; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin