Residents and Fellows Research in Progress
Saturday, November 11, 2023
11:30 AM–01:00 PM
Abstract
Introduction: It has been well-established that therapeutic inertia presents a barrier to achieving treatment goals in primary care settings. Therapeutic inertia can be particularly detrimental in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite the proven benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, these agents may be prone to clinical inertia due to their adverse effect profile and titration schedules.
Research Question or Hypothesis: What is the prevalence of therapeutic inertia among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus taking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists in an outpatient primary care setting?
Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged 18 or older initiated on or receiving GLP-1 agonist therapy between January 1, 2020 and July 31, 2022.
Methods: This analysis utilized manual chart review of subject records based on pre-specified ICD-10 codes for patient identification. GLP-1 agonist regimen and A1c were assessed at baseline and after 6 months for the primary outcome analysis. Therapeutic inertia was defined as receiving a sub-optimal GLP-1 agonist dose while failing to achieve an A1c <8% at 6 months. Patient and prescriber characteristics were collected to identify factors associated with clinical inertia.The primary outcome was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Fisher’s Exact Test was utilized to evaluate provider- and patient-specific factors associated with clinical inertia.
Results: Therapeutic inertia was present in 44 of 97 subjects, a 45.4% incidence. A full analysis of factors associated with clinical inertia is pending.
Conclusion: There is a significant prevalence of therapeutic inertia in patients utilizing GLP-1 agonists, indicating suboptimal utilization of these agents. Further analysis of factors associated with clinical inertia may help to improve prescribing patterns.
Presenting Author
Sunni Amyx PharmDTexas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy
Authors
Lindsay Courtney PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy