Exploring the clinical pharmacist's role in improving home care for patients with diabetes

Diabetes is a common condition among clients receiving home care services. Improved glycemic control can greatly thwart the long-term complications of diabetes. A study examining the role of a clinical pharmacist was performed in a home care agency in which 105 clients were interviewed and their respective charts reviewed with the following results: 37% were incorrectly classified as to type of diabetes, serum creatinine and HbA1c values were not commonly recorded, and clients tended to have complex drug regimens with a large number of potential drug-related problems. The clinical pharmacist's potential impact in this environment is great based on the data gathered from this study.