Evaluation of Knowledge Regarding Oral Anti-diabetic Agents among Hospitalized Diabetic Patients.

: Knowledge regarding oral anti-diabetic agents help to enhance compliance among diabetic patients. Though it is an important aspect of management, data evaluating it is scarce in our country. This cross sectional observational study carried out in the Department of Medicine, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh from September 2013 to February 2014 and was undertaken to determine basic knowledge about oral anti-diabetic agents among hospitalized diabetic patients taking or took oral anti-diabetic agents. In this study main outcome measures were socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge regarding oral anti-diabetic agents, frequency of previous hospital admission, regularity in taking oral anti-diabetic agents, causes of irregularity in taking medicine and knowledge related to hypoglycemia. Mean±SD age was 55±7.14 years, of the patients who were included in this study. Only 33% of patients knew side effects of oral anti-diabetic agents, 34% didn't know that drug should not be stopped before giving blood for glucose estimation, in answering to 9 basic question related to oral anti-diabetic agents 56% obtained score within 0-5, overall mean 5.2±1.47. Among them 38% used to take drug irregularly. Correlation with knowledge score and regularity in taking drug showed significant relation (p<0.01). This study has demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge on oral anti-diabetic agents among type 2 diabetic patients and significant relation with knowledge on oral anti-diabetic agents and patients compliance. An improvement with this respect may be achieved through continuing patients education about diabetes and its treatment.