Quality driven management of tablet-treated type 2 diabetes — potential increases in GP practice prescribing costs

Abstract

A prospective audit was undertaken to characterise Ametabolic control, risk-factor profiles and costs of pharmaceutical agents required to achieve quality target measures in 100 type 2 diabetic patients attending a diabetic clinic in UK general practice. Despite reasonable glycaemic control, the coronary risk of these patients was high due to age, diabetes and dyslipidaemia. It proved impossible to quantify coronary risk for many older patients exactly since existing scales do not apply to patients aged over 75 years. The extra cost of initiating new treatments to modify coronary heart disease (CHD) risk for an average patient with type 2 diabetes was estimated to be £400—£860 (average £633) per annum. The treatment costs of instituting treatment to achieve quality measures should be considered when new quality standards are introduced. Without this investment the long-term costs of managing the complications of diabetes will be much higher.