Trends in Blood Glucose Test Strip Utilization: A Population-Wide Analysis in Saskatchewan, Canada

Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Lynette KosarDavid F Blackburn

Abstract

To describe trends in blood glucose test strip (TS) utilization and cost in Saskatchewan. A retrospective analysis of TS use between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2013, was conducted using population-based health administrative databases in Saskatchewan. The prescription drug database was used to describe the annual number of TS dispensations, the number of strips dispensed, the number of unique beneficiaries and the total costs. A patient-level analysis was also carried out to describe the patterns of TS use (i.e. light, moderate or heavy) by the entire cohort and by diabetes treatments. Potential cost savings due to a newly implemented restriction policy were estimated based on the most recent data (2013). TS utilization increased dramatically between 1996 and 2013 in terms of the number of users and the average number of TSs received. The percentage of TS users receiving fewer than 4 TSs per week (i.e. light users) decreased by 20%, while the percentage of heavy users (i.e. those receiving more than 8 TSs per week) increased by 19%. During the same period, the use of high-risk oral hypoglycemic medications declined by 30% among all TS users. Heavy TS use was observed in at least one-third of all users, irrespective of tr...Continue Reading

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