Estimation of the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Israel based on hypoglycemic drug supply and consumption

In recent years, the estimation of drug utilization has become an efficient instrument for the evaluation of health services. The Defined Daily Dose (DDD) method, standardized by the WHO, using consumption data, provides a basis for comparison of morbidity between different places and over different periods of time. The aim of this study was to validate the estimated prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in Israel obtained by the DDD method. We compared this estimate with data from medical records and from medication cards for the chronically ill. The study focused on Kupat Holim insurees, aged 30 years and older, registered in three Beer Sheva primary care clinics in 1985. By the DDD method we predicted 319 cases of diabetes; record review and medication cards disclosed 353 and 379 cases respectively. Most of this discrepancy was due to oral treated cases of diabetes by the DDD approach. For insulin treated, diabetes the DDD method predicted 108 cases as compared to 102 and 125 by chart and medication review. because the review of medical records is expensive and medication cards for chronic patients are not always available, the DDD approach is a cheap, efficient and simple way to estimate prevalence of diabetes. Improved knowledge of prevalence may serve as a basis for monitoring therapeutic practices and therefore improving the quality of health services.