Impact of Pharmacist-Led Diabetes Management in Primary Care Clinics

Current literature supports pharmacists effectively lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in diabetic patients. Little data exists on pharmacists' effects on comorbidity management, patient satisfaction, or the financial viability of these positions. This study looked to assess the impact of pharmacists on diabetes management compared to usual care.

This multi-site, two-part study includes a retrospective chart review of patients referred to the pharmacist versus usual care within a large academic health system. The pharmacists collaborated under a consult agreement with primary care physicians. The second part of the study assessed patient satisfaction through an abbreviated CG-CAHPS survey.

A total of 206 patients with diabetes for an average of 12 years were included. The average patient age was 62 years with 60% of patients identifying as female and 81% as African-American. Patients were enrolled in a 2:1 fashion with 138 patients in the pharmacist-management group. Average baseline HbA1c was 10.1% in the pharmacist-management group and 9.3% in the usual care group (p= 0.0125). At 6 months, the mean change in HbA1c was -2.17% and 0.48% for the intervention and control groups respectively (p < 0.001).

Pharmacists are effective at lowering HbA1c in primary care clinics, and patients were highly satisfied with these services. While direct revenue from this service did not meet cost, the pharmacist did positively affect outcomes that contribute to reimbursement.