(ANSA) – ROME, 09 OCTOBER – Italians suffering from type 2 diabetes, the type linked to overweight and lifestyle, are almost four million, equal to approximately 6% of the population. But we must also add to this number one and a half million people who have the disease but have not yet been diagnosed. And, hand in hand with the spread of this disease, spending on drugs is also growing, amounting to 9.5 billion a year and driven by the latest and high-cost arrivals. The numbers are updated by the 2023 Diabetes Mellitus Report, published by the Ministry of Health.
The report also updates the data from the National Observatory on the Use of Medicines (OsMed) on monitoring the consumption of diabetes drugs. In 2022, the latest data available, per capita spending on medicines dispensed directly and in the name and on behalf of the company amounted to 160.9 euros (9.5 billion euros), an increase of 9.3% compared to the previous year. In 2022 there was a further increase in the use of new drugs belonging to the classes of Glp1 analogues (a hormone produced by the intestine that stimulates insulin secretion).
The consumption of diabetes drugs increased in the period 2014-2022, going from 61.8 to 66.9 daily doses per thousand inhabitants per day. The cost per day of therapy has instead increased on average by 6% per year, reaching 0.94 euros in 2022: this indicates an ever-increasing use of high-cost drugs, such as Glp 1 analogues. Compared to 2021, in fact, a strong increase in the consumption of glyphozines is observed (+83.2%). In line with the prevalence of diabetes, also in 2022 “the Southern Regions recorded a consumption 31% higher than that of the North” (79 compared to 60) and 18% compared to the national average (67). The North presents the greatest increases in spending (+21.8%) and consumption (+5.9%) as well as an increase in the average cost per daily dose (+15%). (HANDLE).