Assessment of prescribing practice of anti-hypertensive medications in a sample of Iraqi patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

Aim: This research aims to comprehensively assess the prescribing practices of anti-hypertensive medications in a sample of Iraqi patients with diabetes. Specifically, exploring medication types and classes, adherence to clinical guidelines for managing hypertension in the context of diabetes, and factors influencing prescribing decisions.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Materials and

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional retrospective study investigates medication usage in an outpatient clinic in Najaf, Iraq, utilizing systematic sampling. A total of 157 prescriptions from hypertensive outpatients aged 18 and above with comorbid diabetes were randomly selected.

RESULTS

Results

In our study, diabetic hypertensive patients were found to be administered antihypertensive medicines. The usage patterns revealed that a substantial proportion relied on CCBs (48.4%), followed by ARBs (34.4%), ACEIs (32.5%) and Diuretics (32.5%). Notably, single-drug therapy with CCB was more common than multiple-drug therapy among diabetic hypertensive patients in this investigation.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions

This study reveals that CCBs are the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive class among diabetic patients in Iraq, followed by ARBs, diuretics, and ACEIs. While this pattern shows partial alignment with guidelines recommending ACEIs and ARBs as first-line treatments, the preference for CCBs suggests a need for further studies exploring the reasons behind these prescribing patterns.