A Pharmacist Educational Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes:Clinical Outcomes for Latinos in South Florida

Objective. To evaluate the effect of a pharmacist intervention on diabetes clinical outcomes. Background. Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels in the United States (U.S.) by disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups including minorities. Latinos, the fastest growing minority have shown to poor control of diabetes when compared to whites. Pharmacist interventions and diabetes education have shown improvements in clinical outcomes in various populations, however culturally appropriate pharmacist interventions studies in the Latino population are needed. Methods. A prospective randomized design and a community-based approach tested a pharmacist-centered intervention on diabetes clinical outcomes. Diabetics and their support person were recruited from the Hispanic Unity of Florida. Data was collected at baseline and 3 months. The pharmacist intervention consisted of a focused discussion group and two individual counseling sessions during the first 6 weeks. Results. A total of 43 completed the study. Baseline characteristics were the same across groups except for income level and length of time living in the U.S. Most subjects were females with an average age of 55(26-79) years. Hemoglobin A1c was significantly reduced by 0.94±0.45%, weight by 1.68±0.75kg and body mass index by 0.73±0.28 kg/m2 (all p < 0.05) while no significant changes were observed in the control group in any of these outcomes. No significant changes were observed in random blood glucose, blood pressure or lipid panel. Conclusion. A culturally-sensitive pharmacist intervention was effective in improving selected diabetes clinical outcomes in a Latino diabetic population in South Florida. Grants: Funded by CMS 1HOCMS030309-02.