Abstract

Author(s): Álvarez Alfaro, Ana María1; García Donaire, José Antonio2

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most sociohealth impact diseases both for its high prevalence and chronic complications related to other pathologies. It has a high mortality rate.

Objectives: To determine the percentage among the population (patients over 44 years attending a pharmacy for 10 months) and patients who are prescribed a hypoglycemic treatment. As a secondary objective the characterization of analyzing how many patients are overweight, have cardiovascular problems or are being treated with antihypertensive and lipid lowering drugs, (suffering from pathology of the socalled metabolic syndrome) has been undertaken.

Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive, explanatory and quantitative study, based on the statistical analysis of the data obtained.

Results: 8.3% of patients visiting the pharmacy have been prescribed hypoglycemic. Patients have an average age of 72 years, 62.9% are treated with antihypertensive, lipid-lowering means a 54.6%, 40.7% had cardiovascular problems and 79.7% are overweight or obese.

Conclusions: The percentage of patients who go to the pharmacy to have prescribed a hypoglycemic treatment is similar to that recorded in prevalence studies of DM2. These patients suffer varying percentages of other pathologies of metabolic syndrome with significant cardiovascular problems. The pharmacy may be established as the ideal point for the control and monitoring of these patients, and to participate in its diabetes education and treatment improvement.