Diabetes mellitus is a multifaceted disease which intervenes in the personal 
lives of those afflicted in many different ways. In this study prescription drug 
use among diabetics was analyzed in order to shed light on the characteristics 
of diabetic morbidity. Prescription drug use among diabetics and non-diabetics 
in a total population of 21,000 inhabitants in a defined geographic area were 
studied. The diabetic population was categorized according to the type of 
treatment received: insulin treatment, oral anti-diabetic treatment or dietary 
treatment or dietary treatment only. The pattern of prescription drug use 
differed between diabetics and non-diabetics and important differences were 
observed also between diabetics according to type of treatment. Drug use among 
those treated with insulin and those treated orally was substantially higher 
than among non-diabetics while the difference between diabetics on dietary 
regimen and non-diabetics was much smaller. All three treatment groups had 
considerably higher consumption of cardiovascular drugs than non-diabetics. 
Additional findings include more frequent antibiotic use among diabetics treated 
orally and on diet only than among non-diabetics. The use of these drugs was 
also common among insulin treated diabetics but did not differ significantly 
from among non-diabetics. Use of psychotropics was more common among diabetics 
treated with insulin and orally than among non-diabetics.