Changing patterns in medication prescription for gestational diabetes during a time of guideline change in the USA: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To define patterns of prescription and factors associated with choice of pharmacotherapy for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), namely metformin, glyburide and insulin, during a period of evolving professional guidelines.

Desing: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: US commercial insurance beneficiaries from Market-Scan (late 2015 to 2018).

Study design: We included women with GDM, singleton gestations, 15-51 years of age on pharmacotherapy. The exposure was pharmacy claims for metformin, glyburide and insulin.

Main outcomes: Pharmacotherapy for GDM with either oral agent, metformin or glyburide, compared with insulin as the reference, and secondarily, consequent treatment modification (addition and/or change) to metformin, glyburide or insulin.

Results: Among 37 762 women with GDM, we analysed data from 10 407 (28%) with pharmacotherapy, 21% with metformin (n = 2147), 48% with glyburide (n = 4984) and 31% with insulin (n = 3276). From late 2015 to 2018, metformin use increased from 17 to 29%, as did insulin use from 26 to 44%, whereas glyburide use decreased from 58 to 27%. By 2018, insulin was the most common pharmacotherapy for GDM; metformin was more likely to be prescribed by 9% compared with late 2015/16, but glyburide was less likely by 45%. Treatment modification occurred in 20% of women prescribed metformin compared with 2% with insulin and 8% with glyburide.

Conclusions: Insulin followed by metformin has replaced glyburide as the most common pharmacotherapy for GDM among a privately insured US population during a time of evolving professional guidelines. Further evaluation of the relative effectiveness and safety of metformin compared with insulin is needed.

Tweetable abstract: Insulin followed by metformin has replaced glyburide as the most common pharmacotherapy for gestational diabetes mellitus in the USA.