No abstract

This study shows that adherence to type 2 diabetes treatment guidelines for initial treatment is implemented on a large scale. Longitudinal patterns show that the majority of patients receive a small number of modifications to their drug regimen. Discontinuation rates were relatively low.

We included 3323 starters with oral anti-diabetic drugs in our study; 2072 patients initiated statins in the period of observation. Discontinuation rates for statins were higher compared with oral anti-diabetics (52.1 vs 15.0%). After users discontinued statin therapy more frequently compared to prior users (62.8 vs 48.2%). Discontinuation of statins is higher compared with anti-diabetic discontinuation. Patients starting statins after the initiation of oral anti-diabetic treatment are more likely to discontinue treatment than patients who initiate statins before the start of oral anti-diabetics.