What is it about?
Metformin is an old drug, used to treat type 2 diabetes since the 1950's. However, it has only recently been recommended as a first line treatment for gestational diabetes in Australia. Insulin has been the traditional treatment for women who have diabetes prior before pregnancy or develop during pregnancy (DMiP or GDM). Recent changes in diagnostic and treatment criteria have seen a large increase in the number of women being treated. Increasing the health care burden of this condition. The use of metformin, a safe and effective oral alternative to insulin, will reduce this burden, and is preferred by most women if given the option.
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Why is it important?
Evidence of safety and effectiveness must be examined and disseminated to ensure the safe introduction of treatment regimes within pregnancy. Collaboration between professions is extremely important to ensure consistency of information and messages given to women at this very vulnerable period in their lives.
Perspectives
Pharmacists are often the forgotten health professionals, but they have a very important role in the reassurance of consumers in the safe and effective use of medications. Metformin use in pregnancy is still controversial in Australia, although quite accepted in other countries. Pharmacist guidelines still list insulin as the only recommended treatment. This is changing in practice and we need everyone to be aware of the shifting environment.
Mrs Susan G Gray
University of Queensland
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The emerging role of metformin in gestational diabetes mellitus, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism, March 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/dom.12893.
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