A PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO ESTIMATE DIABETS TYPE 2 PREVALENCE.

The aim of this article is to estimate the Portuguese drug treated diabetes type 2 prevalence using drug consumption data, taking into account the proportion of patients that use more than one drug for the same indication. The drug treated diabetes prevalence estimate was based on the formula proposed by Sartor Fe and D. Walckiers, considering: the total amount of oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) sold in Portugal during 2003 based on IMS Health data, the defined daily dose of each OHA, a weighing factor (w) based on the proportion of individuals taking an association of OHM, obtained in a national survey. The prevalence of drug treated diabetes type 2 was estimated to be 2.52%.