In front of the pharmacy, the patient held a box of 100 domestic-made metformin for only 3.56 yuan and said: Hello doctor, this medicine is too cheap, or give me a little more expensive medicine.
The patient said: When he was a child, the elderly in the family took metformin, and now he has changed from a child to an old man, why is he still taking metformin? Are there any newer medicines? In addition, this medicine is too cheap, is the quality guaranteed?
At this time, the pharmacist at the pharmacy asks the patient to consult the clinical pharmacist.
Xiaoyu Pharmacist replied: It is true that metformin has been used for more than 100 years. During this period, new hypoglycemic drugs were continuously launched, but these hypoglycemic drugs have never shaken the status of metformin as the first choice for hypoglycemic drugs.
This is because metformin, among the antidiabetic drugs, has always had good efficacy, and it can also reduce body weight.
And in various domestic and foreign guidelines and expert consensus, metformin is recommended as the first choice for the treatment of diabetes.
In the “Guidelines for Diabetes Diabetes in the Elderly in China” (2021 Edition) launched by the National Geriatrics Center, the Chinese Medical Association, and the Geriatrics Branch, it is clearly recommended for the elderly, and the first choice is to reduce diabetes. The sugar drug is metformin.
The 2020 edition of the “Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in China” released by the Diabetes Branch of the Chinese Medical Association also clarifies that metformin is the drug of choice for diabetic patients.
References:
[1] National Geriatrics Center, Chinese Medical Association Geriatrics Branch, China Geriatrics Association Diabetes Professional Committee. Guidelines for Diabetes Diabetes in the Elderly in China (2021 Edition) [J]. Chinese Journal of Diabetes, 2021,13(1):14-46.DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn115791-20201209-00707.
[2] Diabetes Branch of Chinese Medical Association. Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in China (2020 Edition) [J]. Chinese Journal of Diabetes, 2021,13(4):315-409.DOI :10.3760/cma.j.cn115791-20210221-00095.
And the drug proposed by the patient is so cheap, is there any quality problem?
Xiaoyu Pharmacist replied: Metformin is now available in a box of 100 capsules, 3.56 yuan per box. Equivalent to only three cents per capsule, the price is indeed very cheap, and you can continue to be reimbursed by medical insurance. That’s because this drug has joined the national centralized drug procurement. Several manufacturers of metformin have entered the national catalogue of centralized drug procurement. The manufacturers selected from each province and city are different, but the prices are very cheap. Now, as long as it is a public hospital in an area that has participated in the centralized procurement of national medicines, the price is very cheap. And these drugs must pass the consistency evaluation of generic drugs before they can enter the catalogue of national centralized drug procurement.
Finally, we would like to remind that although metformin is now extremely cheap and effective, we still want to highlight its two adverse drug reactions:
First, adverse reactions in the gastrointestinal tract:
The adverse reactions in the gastrointestinal tract are nausea, vomiting, etc. These drugs are not good Reactions are common, but many people experience discomfort after taking it for a while.
Second, lactic acidosis:
The chance of lactic acidosis is very low, but if adverse reactions occur, more serious.
We therefore do not recommend metformin in patients who are very thin or who are at risk of lactic acidosis.
Therefore, it is a three-point poison. Although metformin is only three cents a pill now, we still do not self-medicate. We must consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking medicine, and Regularly go to the hospital for check-ups during the period of medication.
And through this case, we once again publicize the national centralized drug procurement system, which is a system that benefits the country and the people. These drugs are affordable.