Drugs in Context Primary Care welcomes a broad range of article types including original research, study protocols and review articles.
In line with the principle of providing context for healthcare professionals (HCPs) to properly inform and improve disease management in real world medicine, we especially encourage the submission of articles that provide context for trials of drug interventions in order to motivate improvements in disease management by HCPs practising medicine in the front line.
Original Research
Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often requires intervention with oral and injectable therapies. Across National Health Service (NHS) England, injectable therapies may be initiated in secondary, intermediate or primary care. This original research set out to understand resource utilization, the pathways of care, clinical outcomes, and experience of patients with T2DM
initiated on injectable therapies.
Case Report
Uptake of vaccination against seasonal influenza in healthcare
workers (HCWs) is, in general, low (vaccine coverage of 6–54%), as is awareness of its importance, and has been decreasing in most European Union (EU) countries in recent years. This article clarifies the current situation and makes suggestions for improvement.
Review
Although several treatment options are available to reduce hyperglycemia, only about half of individuals with diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) achieve recommended glycemic targets. New agents that reduce blood glucose concentrations by novel mechanisms and have acceptable safety profiles are needed to improve glycemic control and reduce complications. This article reviews the evidence from clinical trials and suggests that SGLT2 inhibitors are a promising new treatment option for T2DM.
Review
Type 2 diabetes is increasing in prevalence worldwide, and hyperglycemia is often poorly controlled despite a number of therapeutic options.
Unlike previously available agents, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors offer an insulin-independent mechanism for improving blood glucose levels, since they promote urinary glucose excretion by inhibiting glucose reabsorption in the kidney.
In this article, the author discusses empagliflozin and based on available data, it appears that this drug may be a useful option in a range of patients; however, clinical decisions will be better informed by the results of ongoing studies, in particular, a large cardiovascular outcome study (EMPA-REG OUTCOME™).
Case Report
Up to 75% of patients with COPD do not use a correct inhaler technique. In this article, the authors provide details of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of two educational interventions aimed at improving inhalation techniques in a cohort of patients in southern Spain.