Impact of Clinical Pharmacist Interventions in Management of Diabetes in Primary Care in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the impact and effectiveness of clinical pharmacist intervention on the management and overall quality of life of diabetic patients. Two cross-sectional studies using SF36 Health Survey, involving physicians and pharmacists at the Ambulatory Care Department in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Diabetic patients showed significant improvements in their QoL in terms of general health, energy and fatigue, pain scores, and social, emotional, and physical functions. Moreover, PC was found to have a significant impact on diabetes related QoL along with various outcome indicators, such as HbA1c, random blood sugar, and lipid profile in such patients. Additionally, satisfactory knowledge, good practice in identifying prescription errors were found among pharmacists. This study reveals that clinical pharmacists are valuable members of interdisciplinary primary care teams in ambulatory care. This can positively impact glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and improve their quality of life. Also, the current study presented that a satisfactory extent of pharmaceutical care by an ambulatory clinical pharmacist was effective in improving HbA1c in patients with diabetes. A clinical pharmacist in ambulatory care was found to be eminent and of an added value to the patients, physicians, and healthcare team.