Rosiglitazone in Canada: experience in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a growing public health concern throughout the world. In North America, most people with type 2 diabetes receive care for their diabetes from a general or family practitioner and so the performance of a new therapeutic agent is best assessed in this setting. The first of a novel new family of oral hypoglycemic agents, rosiglitazone became available in Canada in February 2000. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS In this article, we discuss an observational, prospective, cohort, open-label study to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of rosiglitazone in a typical type 2 diabetes population receiving care at a family practice setting with several drug therapies and comorbidities. RESULTS/CONCLUSION During seven and a half years of experience in our clinical practice, rosiglitazone has been shown as a safe and effective treatment for type 2 diabetics on maximal tolerated or therapeutic doses of metformin and sulfonylurea, in a family practice setting.