New SGLT2 inhibitors prescribing decision tool now available

A diabetes steering committee has developed a SGLT2 inhibitors prescribing decision tool to provide healthcare professionals with a quick summary on the changing product licenses, guideline recommendations and new data on this class of drugs.

The Improving Diabetes Steering Committee (IDSC) has created the one-page, interactive tool to help healthcare teams determine when they should be prescribing SGLT2 inhibitors.

Speaking at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference 2024, Jane Diggle, Specialist Diabetes Nurse in General Practice, revealed that the prescribing tool has been colour coded according to the appropriateness of SGLT2 inhibitors prescribing for type 2 diabetes in different clinical situations.

Users can click on either green, amber or red sections to view the clinical situations that fit with that particular category.

According to Jane, the prescribing tool is a concise version of the IDSC’s latest publication ‘SGLT2 inhibitors: the new standard of care for cardiovascular, renal and metabolic protection in type 2 diabetes’, which was only published last week.

Research presented at the conference revealed that 50 per cent of people living with type 2 diabetes in England (1.7 million) are eligible for SGLT2 inhibitors therapy.

However, less than 30 per cent of these individuals are prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors, the research has reported.

“Healthcare professionals having a lack of confidence on using these drugs is a key factor for this,” said Jane.

Up to 80 per cent of people living with type 2 diabetes would benefit from using SGLT2 inhibitors, according to the IDSC.

Reasons why healthcare professionals tend not to prescribe SGLT2 inhibitors include a poor understanding of the benefits, delays in clinical guidelines being updated, difficulty navigating the guidelines, confusion around license changes and safety concerns.

To access the SGL2 inhibitors prescribing decision tool, click here.