A recent presentation at the ADA 2019 Scientific Sessions found that a phone-based intervention by pharmacists may improve glycemic control better than stand-alone endocrinology care.

“Clinical inertia is a widespread reason for suboptimal control of patients with diabetes,” Daniel J. Rubin, MD, MSc, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and colleagues wrote. “One approach to addressing clinical inertia is to include non-physician providers in diabetes management. Evidence suggests that intervention by pharmacists improves glycemic control more than usual care.”

Pharmacist making a phone call. Source: Getty

The researchers explain that data is lacking on the impact of a pharmacist’s input in diabetes care via phone compared to standard endocrinologist-based care alone. In order to determine the effect of a pharmacist intervention, they analyzed phone-based management conducted by a PharmD.

Rubin and colleagues studied 65 patients with diabetes at a single medical center. Patients were referred to a PharmD by their endocrinologist after receiving diabetes care. The counselling provided by the pharmacist over the phone included “medication reconciliation, education on medication self-administration, coordination with pharmacies to dispense medications, and adjustment of DM medications.”

Study results showed that in the patients who did not receive the intervention mean A1C did not decreased significantly (P = .123). However, among patients who received a phone call from the pharmacists, mean A1C decreased significantly after the first phone call (P < .0001). Further, the A1C reduction in the intervention group was significantly greater compared to the non-intervention group (P ​= .031). 

“Phone-based diabetes management of endocrinology patients by a PharmD may lead to better glycemic control than management by an Endocrinologist alone,” Rubin and colleagues concluded. “These data should encourage the conduct of an RCT to test this promising strategy for addressing clinical inertia in diabetes patients.”