Background: This study presents data on the prevalence and incidence of drug-treated diabetes mellitus in Norway based on the new Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD).
Material and methods: We used data from the NorPD (2004-June 2005) and the official wholesales statistics (2000-2004). The number of patients with at least one prescription for drugs used in diabetes was recorded, together with gender and age distribution among the users.
Results: The one-year prevalence in 2004 of drug-treated diabetes was 2.6% for men and 2.2% for women. 9% of men in the 70-79 year age-group received antidiabetic drugs. 46 000 patients were recorded with at least one prescription on insulin, while 79,000 patients collected at least one prescription on tablets. The one-year prevalence of insulin users in the age-group younger than 15 years was estimated to 2.0 per 1000. The incidence rate, calculated from data from the first half of 2005, was 35 per 100,000 person-years.
Interpretation: The NorPD represents a new data source which offers good estimates for the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus who receive antidiabetic drugs outside hospitals or nursing homes. The 2004 prevalence was in accordance with previous surveys, while the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes in children younger than 15 years was higher than previously shown.