New survey indicates 84% of type 2 diabetes patients in UK would switch medication if it reduced pill burden

A new survey of patients with type 2 diabetes shows that more than three-quarters of them are taking medication to control their diabetes. Of this group, 84% would consider switching medication if it meant taking fewer tablets. Yet nearly half had never had any changes made to their medication, even though 35% had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for between five and 10 years, and 13% for more than 10 years.

The on-line survey of 100 people with type 2 diabetes (carried out by TNS on behalf of the UK unit of Japan's leading drugmaker Takeda) also found that half of all respondents could not correctly define hypoglycaemia, while 49% who had suffered hypoglycemic-like symptoms had not reported them to their general practitioner or practice diabetic nurse. Indeed, 14% of respondents claimed never to have heard the term hypoglycemia.

There are currently over 2.5 million people with diabetes in the UK and in this survey, nearly 40% of patients took between four and more than nine tablets daily. As many as 41% of respondents stated they wished they could reduce the number of tablets they take daily. At least 16% of respondents were taking four tablets per day and 9% more than six. In addition, 24% had concerns over possible drug side effects.