Faculty Articles

Pharmacist Impact on Treatment Intensification and Hemoglobin A1C in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at an Academic Health Center

Publication Title

Journal of Pharmacy Practice

Publisher

Sage Publications

ISSN

1531-1937

Publication Date

12-1-2019

Keywords

ambulatory care, clinical inertia, diabetes, endocrinology, treatment intensification

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Achievement of treatment goals for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is suboptimal. This is in part driven by a lack of treatment intensification when warranted, termed "clinical inertia."

OBJECTIVES: To investigate time to treatment intensification and changes in A1C among pharmacist-physician managed (PPM) patients compared to usual medical care (UMC) in patients with T2DM.

METHODS: Retrospective matched cohort study at 2 academic family medicine clinics. Patients in each cohort were matched 1:1 based on age (±5 years), primary care provider, gender, and race.

RESULTS: A total of 50 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean time to treatment intensification was longer in the UMC cohort as compared with the PPM cohort (325 (66) days vs 200 (62) days [

CONCLUSION: Patients exposed to a pharmacist in this retrospective matched cohort study experienced shorter time to treatment intensification and a greater reduction in A1C than those managed solely by a medical provider, although results were not statistically significant. Additional research is needed to evaluate the role of the pharmacist in improving clinical inertia in the management of T2DM.

DOI

10.1177/0897190018776178

Volume

32

Issue

6

First Page

648

Last Page

654

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

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Peer Reviewed

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