title: Self-monitoring of blood glucose in Type 2 diabetes: cross-sectional analyses in 1993, 1999 and 2009.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the numbers of reagent strips dispensed for self-monitoring of blood glucose to patients with Type 2 diabetes in Tayside, Scotland, in 1993, 1999 and 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  A diabetes clinical information system in Tayside, record-linked to electronic dispensed prescribing records, was used to collate all dispensed prescribing records for three cross-sectional samples of patients with Type 2 diabetes in 1993 (n = 5728), 1999 (n = 8109) and at 1 January 2009 (n = 16,450). The numbers of reagent strips dispensed during the relevant calendar year were calculated and patients stratified by treatment. We also explored whether age, sex or material and social deprivation were associated with whether a patient received strips.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proportions of people who received self-monitoring reagent strips increased from 15.5% in 1993, to 24.2% in 1999 to 29.8% in 2009, as did numbers of strips dispensed. While the proportion of diet-treated patients who received reagent strips was still very low in 2009 (5.6%), the proportion among those treated with oral agents tripled from 9.4 to 27.4% between 1993 and 2009. Over 90% of patients treated with insulin received reagent strips and, among non-insulin-treated patients, this was more common among women, younger people and less deprived groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The numbers of reagent strips dispensed for self-monitoring of blood glucose has increased and almost all insulin-treated patients receive strips. While few diet-treated patients receive strips, they are more extensively dispensed to those treated with oral agents. Given that self-monitoring of blood glucose is no longer routinely recommended in non-insulin treated patients, strategies to reduce unnecessary dispensing of reagent strips are needed.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. josie.evans@stir.ac.uk
authors.forename: J M M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mackison
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emslie-Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lawton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010594:Pharmacies; D011934:Reagent Strips / Q000191:economics; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D011934:Reagent Strips