Objective:Diabetes has gradually emerged as one of the most serious public health problems in our country. This underlines the need for timely disease detection and decisive therapeutic intervention. This prospective cross-sectional observational study aims at analyzing the utilization pattern of antidiabetic agents in a remote North-East Indian tertiary care teaching hospital in the perspective of current standard treatment guidelines.Materials and Methods:Diabetic patients receiving antidiabetic medication, both as outpatients and inpatients in our hospital over a period of 12 months (May 2013–May 2014), were included in this study. The data obtained were sorted and analyzed on the basis of gender, type of therapy, and hospital setting.Results:A total of 310 patients were included in the study. Metformin was the single most frequently prescribed antidiabetic agent (66.8%) followed by the sulfonylureas group (37.4%). Insulin was prescribed in 23.2% of the patients. Combination antidiabetic drug therapy (65.1%) was used more frequently than monotherapy (34.8%). The use of biguanides (P < 0.0001) and sulfonylureas (P = 0.02) in combination was significant as compared to their use as monotherapy. A total of 48% of all antidiabetic combinations used, comprised metformin and sulfonylureas (n = 96). Insulin use was significantly higher as monotherapy and in inpatients (P < 0.0001). The utilization of drugs from the National List of Essential Medicines was 51.2%, while 11% of antidiabetics were prescribed by generic name.Conclusion:The pattern of utilization largely conforms to the current standard treatment guidelines. Increased use of generic drugs is an area with scope for improvement.

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health problem, more so in India, which contributes the most to global diabetes prevalence and the rate seems to be escalating. There is complexity of aetiologies and need for early diagnosis and treatment and the call for finding the burden. The aim of the study is to find the prevalence of diabetes and determine the factors associated with it amongst the native Sikkimese population of Tadong, East Sikkim. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional descriptive study with total enumeration of population aged 20 years and above having domicile of Sikkim (874) was conducted in the urban field practice area of Urban Health Centre, Tadong, Gangtok, from August 2013-August 2014. Clinical-social data was collected, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure taken and FBG was measured after 8 hours of fasting using blood glucometer and then analysis was done using SPSS Software. RESULTS On the basis of study, the prevalence of diabetes was found to be 16.36%. Out of total 143 diabetics, 118 (82.5%) were previously diagnosed of diabetes. Diabetes significantly increased with increasing age. Family history, sedentary lifestyles, employment, WHR and BMI was significantly associated with diabetes. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of DM among different gender and different communities. CONCLUSION The present study reveals high prevalence of diabetes. This indicates the need for early screening and preventive measures to avoid complications.