Regulatory and clinical perspective on patient access to antidiabetic medicines in Slovenia
Introduction/Objective. Three novel classes of antidiabetic medicines have been introduced to the market in the last decade, namely dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors. There are many factors that influence patient access to these medicines and their utilization in clinical practice that need to be explored. The aim of the study was to gain an insight into patient access to antidiabetic medicines in Slovenia from a regulatory and clinical point of view. Methods. A focus group with five Slovenian experts (representatives of regulatory bodies and prescribers of antidiabetic medicines) was performed in January 2019. The discussion was audiotaped upon obtaining written consent from the experts and transformed into a verbatim transcript. Two researchers independently analyzed the content of the discussion, using NVivo 11 to identify main themes and subthemes. Results. Slovenia provides satisfactory patient access to antidiabetic medicines; however, prescribing restrictions and unequal access to diabetologists in the Slovenian regions may limit patient access to novel antidiabetic medicines. Prescribing restrictions should be aligned with the new evidence on cardiovascular benefit of some antidiabetic medicines. A national registry of patients with diabetes should be established in order to obtain reliable data on patient outcomes and improve the quality of patient care. Conclusion. Patient access to antidiabetic medicines not only in Slovenia but also in other countries could be improved by changing prescribing restrictions, establishment of national registries of patients with diabetes and involvement of multidisciplinary teams in diabetes care.