Patient and caregiver experience with telepharmacy in cancer care to support beginning systemic therapy: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Although the COVID-19 pandemic spurred telehealth adoption for many specialties and care team roles, the patient and caregiver experience for telepharmacy visits has been relatively understudied. To our knowledge, there is a paucity of studies that have attempted to qualitatively evaluate this. This study aimed to qualitatively assess the patient and caregiver experience of telepharmacy visits in a cancer center.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 patients with cancer and seven caregivers that had attended a telepharmacy visit between December 1, 2021, and May 24, 2022. The interviews assessed visit content, overall satisfaction, system experience, visit quality, and future preferences for pharmacy visits as telehealth versus in-person. We used both deductive and inductive coding to identify themes.

RESULTS

Telepharmacy delivery was generally well-received. Reasons for having the telepharmacy visit included reviewing chemotherapy procedures, side effects to expect during treatment, providing education on recently prescribed medications, offering dietary recommendations (e.g., avoiding grapefruit juice), and performing medication reconciliation. Participants were receptive to having pharmacy visits through telehealth due to the perceived lack of a need to have a physical exam and prior relationship with the pharmacist. Participants also highlighted the main reason for the telepharmacy visits was primarily to provide patient education, which participants felt was suitable for telehealth.

CONCLUSIONS

The patient and caregiver experience of telepharmacy is influenced by several factors, such as ease of connectivity, communicating effectively with the pharmacist, and timing of the telepharmacy visit (e.g., immediately after picking up medications from the pharmacy). Participants' recommendations to improve telepharmacy delivery included health systems raising awareness of telepharmacy services and providing a list of questions to patients to guide discussions.

A meta-analysis of the impact of pharmacist interventions on clinical outcomes in patients with type-2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of pharmacist interventions in type-2 diabetes patients by collecting and evaluating literature.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted across six databases, including CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, from January 2001 to January 2023. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the clinical outcomes of pharmacist interventions on type-2 diabetes patients were searched, and data were extracted and analysed by RevMan version 5.4 software.

RESULTS

A total of 35 studies involving 4827 patients were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated that pharmacist interventions had an influence on improving patients' HbA1c (MD=-0.70), LDL-C (MD=-5.51), SBP (MD=-4.58), DBP (MD=-1.90], BMI (MD=-0.47) and FBG (MD=-19.82), but there was no evidence from the study that pharmacist interventions could significantly improve HDL-C (MD=-0.61), TC (MD=-5.12) or TG (MD=-3.14). In addition, medication adherence was significantly improved.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacist interventions significantly improved HbA1c, BP, and LDL-C control levels, BMI, and medication adherence in type-2 diabetes patients, but there was no evidence from this study that pharmacist interventions significantly improved HDL-C, TC, or TG.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Effective pharmacist interventions are important to improve type-2 diabetes patients' clinical outcomes.

Impact of an educational program on community pharmacist's preparedness to conduct pharmacist-led diabetes clinic in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Demand for diabetes care and prevention has increased due to Saudi Arabia's high prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its insufficient treatment. This raised awareness of the significance of community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia, who may significantly improve diabetes treatment by setting up pharmacist-led diabetic clinics. Thus, to assess community pharmacists' readiness to lead diabetes clinics in Saudi Arabia, this study evaluated the usefulness of an educational session on diabetes care.

METHOD

The preparation of community pharmacists for diabetes treatment and management was assessed using a validated diabetes-specific questionnaire. An engaging and thorough diabetes education class was presented by two licensed diabetes educators. One-way ANOVA, chi-square, and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used to statistically assess the pre- and post-knowledge and attitude scores of community pharmacists.

RESULTS

Following a learning session, the community pharmacists had a significant increase in understanding oral hypoglycemic medicines, monitoring the disease's course, and dosing of insulin for diabetics (p = 0.01). Additionally, the community pharmacist's perspective and attitude score on managing diabetes increased from 49.74 to 52.74 (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The study's findings demonstrated a marked improvement in community pharmacist's knowledge of and attitude toward running pharmacist-led diabetic clinics following a session on diabetes education in collaboration with the Pharmacy College. The study's findings also emphasized the significance of developing a structured programme for diabetes education in Saudi Arabia to address the demands of community pharmacists in terms of professional development.

Quality improvement strategies for diabetes care: Effects on outcomes for adults living with diabetes

BACKGROUND

There is a large body of evidence evaluating quality improvement (QI) programmes to improve care for adults living with diabetes. These programmes are often comprised of multiple QI strategies, which may be implemented in various combinations. Decision-makers planning to implement or evaluate a new QI programme, or both, need reliable evidence on the relative effectiveness of different QI strategies (individually and in combination) for different patient populations.

OBJECTIVES

To update existing systematic reviews of diabetes QI programmes and apply novel meta-analytical techniques to estimate the effectiveness of QI strategies (individually and in combination) on diabetes quality of care.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL) and trials registers (ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO ICTRP) to 4 June 2019. We conducted a top-up search to 23 September 2021; we screened these search results and 42 studies meeting our eligibility criteria are available in the awaiting classification section.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised trials that assessed a QI programme to improve care in outpatient settings for people living with diabetes. QI programmes needed to evaluate at least one system- or provider-targeted QI strategy alone or in combination with a patient-targeted strategy. - System-targeted: case management (CM); team changes (TC); electronic patient registry (EPR); facilitated relay of clinical information (FR); continuous quality improvement (CQI). - Provider-targeted: audit and feedback (AF); clinician education (CE); clinician reminders (CR); financial incentives (FI). - Patient-targeted: patient education (PE); promotion of self-management (PSM); patient reminders (PR). Patient-targeted QI strategies needed to occur with a minimum of one provider or system-targeted strategy.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We dual-screened search results and abstracted data on study design, study population and QI strategies. We assessed the impact of the programmes on 13 measures of diabetes care, including: glycaemic control (e.g. mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)); cardiovascular risk factor management (e.g. mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), proportion of people living with diabetes that quit smoking or receiving cardiovascular medications); and screening/prevention of microvascular complications (e.g. proportion of patients receiving retinopathy or foot screening); and harms (e.g. proportion of patients experiencing adverse hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia). We modelled the association of each QI strategy with outcomes using a series of hierarchical multivariable meta-regression models in a Bayesian framework. The previous version of this review identified that different strategies were more or less effective depending on baseline levels of outcomes. To explore this further, we extended the main additive model for continuous outcomes (HbA1c, SBP and LDL-C) to include an interaction term between each strategy and average baseline risk for each study (baseline thresholds were based on a data-driven approach; we used the median of all baseline values reported in the trials). Based on model diagnostics, the baseline interaction models for HbA1c, SBP and LDL-C performed better than the main model and are therefore presented as the primary analyses for these outcomes. Based on the model results, we qualitatively ordered each QI strategy within three tiers (Top, Middle, Bottom) based on its magnitude of effect relative to the other QI strategies, where 'Top' indicates that the QI strategy was likely one of the most effective strategies for that specific outcome. Secondary analyses explored the sensitivity of results to choices in model specification and priors.  Additional information about the methods and results of the review are available as Appendices in an online repository. This review will be maintained as a living systematic review; we will update our syntheses as more data become available.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 553 trials (428 patient-randomised and 125 cluster-randomised trials), including a total of 412,161 participants. Of the included studies, 66% involved people living with type 2 diabetes only. Participants were 50% female and the median age of participants was 58.4 years. The mean duration of follow-up was 12.5 months. HbA1c was the commonest reported outcome; screening outcomes and outcomes related to cardiovascular medications, smoking and harms were reported infrequently. The most frequently evaluated QI strategies across all study arms were PE, PSM and CM, while the least frequently evaluated QI strategies included AF, FI and CQI. Our confidence in the evidence is limited due to a lack of information on how studies were conducted.  Four QI strategies (CM, TC, PE, PSM) were consistently identified as 'Top' across the majority of outcomes. All QI strategies were ranked as 'Top' for at least one key outcome. The majority of effects of individual QI strategies were modest, but when used in combination could result in meaningful population-level improvements across the majority of outcomes. The median number of QI strategies in multicomponent QI programmes was three.  Combinations of the three most effective QI strategies were estimated to lead to the below effects:  - PR + PSM + CE: decrease in HbA1c by 0.41% (credibility interval (CrI) -0.61 to -0.22) when baseline HbA1c < 8.3%; - CM + PE + EPR: decrease in HbA1c by 0.62% (CrI -0.84 to -0.39) when baseline HbA1c > 8.3%;  - PE + TC + PSM: reduction in SBP by 2.14 mmHg (CrI -3.80 to -0.52) when baseline SBP < 136 mmHg; - CM + TC + PSM: reduction in SBP by 4.39 mmHg (CrI -6.20 to -2.56) when baseline SBP > 136 mmHg;  - TC + PE + CM: LDL-C lowering of 5.73 mg/dL (CrI -7.93 to -3.61) when baseline LDL < 107 mg/dL; - TC + CM + CR: LDL-C lowering by 5.52 mg/dL (CrI -9.24 to -1.89) when baseline LDL > 107 mg/dL. Assuming a baseline screening rate of 50%, the three most effective QI strategies were estimated to lead to an absolute improvement of 33% in retinopathy screening (PE + PR + TC) and 38% absolute increase in foot screening (PE + TC + Other).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is a significant body of evidence about QI programmes to improve the management of diabetes. Multicomponent QI programmes for diabetes care (comprised of effective QI strategies) may achieve meaningful population-level improvements across the majority of outcomes. For health system decision-makers, the evidence summarised in this review can be used to identify strategies to include in QI programmes. For researchers, this synthesis identifies higher-priority QI strategies to examine in further research regarding how to optimise their evaluation and effects. We will maintain this as a living systematic review.

Community pharmacist-led interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Studies assessing community pharmacist-led interventions conducted in high-income countries indicate that community pharmacists are successful in taking opportunities to support diabetes management. It is not yet clear as to what extent this is also true for low-income and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of the types of interventions performed by community pharmacists and available evidence about their effects on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in low-income and middle-income countries.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for (non) randomized controlled, before-and-after, and interrupted time series design studies. There was no restriction on publication language. Interventions to be included had to be delivered by community pharmacists in a primary care or community setting. Study quality was assessed using the National Institute of Health tools, with results analyzed qualitatively, and the review itself was conducted in accordance with guidelines for scoping reviews.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight studies were included, representing 4,434 patients (mean age from 47.4 to 59.5 years, 55.4% female) from community pharmacies (16 studies), primary care centers (8 studies) or community setting (4 studies). Four studies were single-component and the remaining represented multi-component interventions. Face-to-face counseling of patients was the most common intervention, often combined with the provision of printed materials, remote consultations, or conducting medication reviews. Generally, studies showed improved outcomes in the intervention group, including clinical, patient-reported and medication safety outcomes. In most studies, at least one domain was judged to be of poor quality, with heterogeneity among studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Community pharmacist-led interventions on type 2 diabetes mellitus patients showed various positive effects but the quality of the evidence was poor. Face-to-face counseling of varying intensity, often combined with other strategies and representing a multi-component intervention, was the most common type. Although these findings support the expansion of the community pharmacist's role in diabetes care in low-income and middle-income countries, better quality studies are needed to evaluate the impact of specific interventions.

Application, Benefits, and Limitations of Telepharmacy for Patients with Diabetes in the Outpatient Setting

After the COVID-19 pandemic, telepharmacy has become increasingly widely used as an alternative to pharmaceutical care by remote pharmacists. Patients with diabetes mellitus are one of the patients who get benefit the most from telepharmacy practices, which allow patients to consult without meeting face to face and minimize the risk of virus transmission. The authors conduct an assessment of the benefits and limitations of using telepharmacy that are used throughout the world and then hopes that they can become a reference in the development of telepharmacy in the future. A total of 23 relevant articles were used for analysis in this narrative review after searching for articles in three sources, including PubMed, Google Scholar and ClinicalTrials.gov, until October 2022. This narrative review shows that telepharmacy plays an important role in improving clinical outcomes, patient therapy adherence and reduce the number of patient visit and hospitalization, but telepharmacy also has limitations in its use related to security and privacy, as well as pharmacist intervention that has not been maximized. However, telepharmacy has great potential to facilitate diabetes mellitus patients in pharmaceutical services.

Developing community pharmacists' role in the management of type 2 diabetes and related microvascular complications: a nationwide survey in Australia

Background

Community pharmacists have regular interactions with people living with type 2 diabetes to supply medications, and have a potential role in supporting other primary care professionals in the screening, management, monitoring and facilitation of timely referral of microvascular complications. This study aimed to investigate the contemporary and future roles of community pharmacists in diabetes-related microvascular complication management.

Methods

This study involved an online Australian nation-wide survey of pharmacists administered via Qualtrics® and distributed through social media platforms, state and national pharmacy organisations, and via major banner groups. Descriptive analyses were undertaken using SPSS.

Results

Among 77 valid responses, 72% of pharmacists already provided blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring services for the management of type 2 diabetes. Only 14% reported providing specific microvascular complication services. Over 80% identified a need for a comprehensive microvascular complication monitoring and referral service, and agreed it is feasible and within the scope of practice of a pharmacist. Almost all respondents agreed that they would implement and provide a monitoring and referral service if provided with appropriate training and resources. Potential barriers to service implementation were competing demands and lack of remuneration and awareness among consumers and health professionals.

Conclusions

Type 2 diabetes services in Australian community pharmacies do not currently focus on microvascular complication management. There appears to be strong support for implementing a novel screening, monitoring and referral service via community pharmacy to facilitate timely access to care. Successful implementation would require additional pharmacist training, and identification of efficient pathways for service integration and remuneration.

The intervention strategies and service model for pharmacist-led diabetes management: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

There is increasing intervention activities provided during pharmacist-led diabetes management. Nevertheless, there is an unclear definition of the activities involved during the intervention. Thus, this study aimed to describe the type of intervention strategies and service model provided during pharmacist-led type 2 diabetes management and service outcomes.

METHODS

This study utilized the scoping review methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual 2015. Articles on pharmacist-led diabetes management focusing on the service content, delivery methods, settings, frequency of appointments, collaborative work with other healthcare providers, and reported outcomes were searched and identified from four electronic databases: Ovid Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from 1990 to October 2020. Relevant medical subject headings and keywords, such as "diabetes," "medication adherence," "blood glucose," "HbA1c," and "pharmacist," were used to identify published articles.

RESULTS

The systematic search retrieved 4,370 articles, of which 61 articles met the inclusion criteria. The types of intervention strategies and delivery methods were identified from the studies based on the description of activities reported in the articles and were tabulated in a summary table.

CONCLUSION

There were variations in the descriptions of intervention strategies, which could be classified into diabetes education, medication review, drug consultation/counseling, clinical intervention, lifestyle adjustment, self-care, peer support, and behavioral intervention. In addition, most studies used a combination of two or more intervention strategy categories when providing services, with no specific pattern between the service model and patient outcomes.

Potential Methods to Improve Self-management in Those with Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review

CONTEXT

The ability of self-manage was important for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and it was supported and depend on the method used. We aimed to summarize the potential method of self-management to improve self-empowerment.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

To obtain the related data, 5 databases, including Scopus, Science Direct, ProQuest, CINAHL, and SAGE, were comprehensively searched. The search was done in advance using the Boolean operator. The full texts of articles presenting data on self-management methods were screened and retrieved.

RESULTS

A total of 22 studies were included in this review. Various self-management techniques were covered with primary and secondary outcomes. Primary outcomes included blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Secondary outcomes included knowledge, self-efficacy, lifestyle habits, physical activity, diet, smoking, medical treatment, support, and health behavior. A goal-setting-oriented approach was effective in setting targets and gaining support from family members. A family-centered approach was effective in taking care of and taking good care of patients with T2DM. Strength training exercises provide patients with a choice of physical activity that can help them manage their blood sugar and blood pressure. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a stress-reduction technique. The patient's acceptance of the disease and treatment for diabetes is aided by education.

CONCLUSIONS

A successful self-management method was one which balances and adapts to the patient's condition. Regardless of the age of the patients, the overall findings from the review suggest that self-management methods can help patients become healthier and improve their quality of life by controlling their hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level.

The Diabetes teleMonitoring of patients in insulin Therapy (DiaMonT) trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The effect of telemedicine solutions in diabetes remains inconclusive. However, telemedicine studies have shown a positive trend in regards to glycemic control. The telemedicine interventions that facilitate adjustment of medication seems to improve glycemic control more effectively. Hence, it is recommended that future telemedicine studies for patients with diabetes include patient-specific suggestions for changes in medicine. Hence, the aim of the trial is to explore the effect of telemonitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on insulin therapy.

METHODS

The trial is an open-label randomized controlled trial with a trial period of 3 months conducted in two sites in Denmark. Patients with T2D on insulin therapy will be randomized (1:1) to a telemonitoring group (intervention) or a usual care group (control). The telemonitoring group will use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), an insulin pen, an activity tracker, and smartphone applications throughout the trial. Hospital staff will monitor the telemonitoring group and contact the subjects by telephone repeatedly throughout the trial period. The usual care group will use a blinded CGM the first and last 20 days of the trial and will use a blinded insulin pen for the entire period. The primary endpoint will be changed from baseline in CGM time in range (3.9-10.0 mmol/L) 3 months after randomization. Secondary endpoints include change from baseline in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total daily dose, time above range, and time below range 3 months after randomization. Exploratory endpoints include health-related quality of life, diabetes-related quality of life, etc. DISCUSSION: The DiaMonT trial will test a telemonitoring setup including various devices. Such a setup may be criticized, because it is impossible to determine which element(s) add to the potential effect. However, it is not possible and counterproductive to test the elements individually, since it is the full telemedicine setup that is being evaluated. The DiaMonT trial is the first Danish trial to explore the effect of telemonitoring on patients on insulin therapy. Thus, the DiaMonT trial has the potential to form the basis for the implementation of telemedicine for patients with T2D in Denmark.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04981808. Registered on 8 June 2021.

Evaluation of Impact of a Pharmacist-Led Educational Campaign on Disease Knowledge, Practices and Medication Adherence for Type-2 Diabetic Patients: A Prospective Pre- and Post-Analysis

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is a major public health concern with an alarming global growth rate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Saudi Arabia ranks seventh in the world and second in the Middle East for the largest estimated burden of diabetic cases. Evidence shows that pharmacist-led care programs can be beneficial for the effective treatment of diabetes mellitus. Current study was aimed to evaluate the impact of Pharmacist-Based Diabetic Intervention (PDIM) for Type 2 Diabetes patients on knowledge of the disease, adherence to medications and self-care practices during the first wave of COVID-19. A multi-arm pre-post study was conducted among type 2 diabetic patients from April to October 2021 in Sakaka, Saudi Arabia. Patients were randomly divided into an intervention and a control group. The intervention group received the PDIM, whereas the control group only received the usual care. The pharmacist-based diabetes intervention model consisted of a diabetic educational module and medication improvement strategies. Furthermore, the intervention group also received specific telepharmacy services (calls, messages or emails) to address their medication-related problems, inquire about medication adherence and follow-up. At the end of six months, disease knowledge, self-care practices, and medication adherence score were analyzed. Furthermore, HbA1c and lipid profile were also compared. A total of 109 patients were included in the study. A significant difference was observed in the knowledge score between the intervention and control group (16.89 ± 2.01 versus 15.24 ± 2.03, p-value < 0.001). Similarly, self-care practices also improved in the intervention group as compared to the control group (4.39 ± 1.10 versus 3.16 ± 0.97, p-value < 0.001). Furthermore, the medication adherence and HbA1c significantly improved during between the group analysis (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrates that pharmacist-based diabetes intervention model is effective in improving patients’ knowledge of diabetes, self-care practices, medication adherence and glycemic control.

Medication management in Minority, Asian and Black ethnic older people in the United Kingdom: A mixed-studies systematic review

WHAT IS NEW AND OBJECTIVES

Older people from ethnic minorities experience the intersectionality of age and ethnicity in relation to complex medication management and polypharmacy. Minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom are at risk of poor medication management because factors such as cultural beliefs, language barriers, lack of knowledge of how the healthcare system works may affect their ability to safely manage their medications. The aim of this systematic review was to review the literature focussing on medication management in the older population amongst ethnic minority communities in United Kingdom.

METHODS

The review was conducted and reported according to methods in the Cochrane Handbook and in the PRISMA 2020 statement using databases such as EMBASE, ASSIA, MEDLINE, PsychINFO and others. Studies conducted in the United Kingdom on individuals over 60 years of age and from a minority ethnic background were included. A thematic analysis was used to synthesize the results.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Nine studies (eight from initial searches, one from a search update in 2021) met the inclusion criteria. Three main themes were identified: misbeliefs around medications, poor health literacy, communication and education as possible intervention to improve medication management. Misbeliefs around long-term illnesses exert a negative impact on medication management. Poor health literacy around medications influences patients' adherence to treatments. Poor communication is perceived as barrier to successful medication management. Despite extensive searching, the team identified a limited number of studies and a lack of intersectional studies focussing on minority ethnic groups and the older population.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest tailored education as a possible intervention to improve medication management amongst these minority groups. Future research should look at recruiting participants from specific ethnic groups and from rural as well as urban areas to explore how medication management operates in different areas of the United Kingdom.

The Effect of Interventions Led by Community Pharmacists in Primary Care for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on Therapeutic Adherence and HbA1c Levels: A Systematic Review

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been assessed as a widespread disease globally. Unfortunately, this illness can occasionally go undetected and without symptoms until it reaches the emergency condition, and this can be notably true in patients who do not receive routine medical care. Pharmacists are the foremost accessible health care providers. They can help patients select the most appropriate hypoglycemic management strategy through their experiences. This review aimed to provide an overview of the literature published on community pharmacists' interventions that are currently used and their usefulness in improving patient adherence and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Relevant studies were retrieved through a comprehensive search of three databases, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and CINAHL (2010 to 2020). In total, 8362 publications were identified. The final protocol was based on the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)". After applying inclusion and exclusion measures, 21 articles were deemed relevant. In pharmacists' interventions in diabetes care, patient education and counseling were the most common intervention methods. Essentially, this systematic review provides evidence and identifies the key features that may predict success in enhancing clinical outcomes and patient adherence to treatment. Based on our findings, we suggest further investigations of the root causes of non-adherence problems.

Impact of Pharmacists-Led Interventions in Primary Care for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes on HbA1c Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is responsible for an important premature mortality. Pharmacists involved in community-based pharmaceutical care services could help patients with diabetes through education and management as they participate in their regular and long-term care. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between interventions led by pharmacists in the primary care setting and mean change in HbA1c levels. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies with a control group were included. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated to compare the mean change in HbA1c values between baseline and end of the intervention in each group. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity. Twelve articles were included. The results showed that pharmacist’s interventions significantly reduced HbA1c compared to usual care with an overall SMD of −0.67 (95% CI = [−0.87; −0.48], p < 0.0001). Even if no significant difference between subgroups were found, the reduction of HbA1c seemed more important when baseline HbA1c was ≥8.5%, the intervention occurred monthly, in a primary care center and in countries with a lower human development index. Our results suggest that pharmacists-led interventions in the primary care setting can improve glycemic control for adults with T2D.

Impact of Pharmacist-Led Diabetes Self-Care Education on Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Pakistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: There is a little evidence on efficacy of pharmacy-based interventions on clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Pakistan.

Objective: To appraise the impact of pharmacist-led self-care education on glycemic control, self-care practices and disease knowledge of T2DM patients with poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 7%).

Methods: In this 6-months, randomized controlled trial (RCT), n = 75, T2DM patients seeking care at a diabetes clinic were randomized in to two groups. Intervention group (n = 38) received two face-to-face educational sessions (at enrollment and on week 12), whereas control group (n = 37) received usual care. Outcome measures such as glycemic control, self-care practices and disease knowledge were assessed at the time of enrollment and after 6-months in both groups.

Results: Thirty-three intervention and thirty-three participants from the control group completed the study. Mean glycated hemoglobin (% HbA1c) significantly reduced in the intervention group from 9.00 ± 1.43 to 8.09 ± 1.16 (p < .01). However, no significant change was observed in the control group (9.20 ± 1.24 to 8.93 ± .97; p = .06). Cohen’s d effect size of the intervention on HbA1c was .78. Percentage of participants achieving glycemic control (HbA1c < 7%) were significantly higher (p < .05) in the intervention group as compared to the control group (twenty-four vs. six), after 6 months of the trial. A significant (p < .01) improvement in mean scores for disease knowledge and self-care activities was also observed in the intervention group participants, whereas no significant improvements (p > .05) were observed in the control group.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated an improvement in glycemic control, disease knowledge and self-care activities of T2DM patients who received pharmacist-led educational intervention. The study findings support clinical significance of integrating pharmacy-based interventions in diabetes management.

The Effectiveness of Telemedicine Solutions for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

BACKGROUND

Previous systematic reviews have aimed to clarify the effect of telemedicine on diabetes. However, such reviews often have a narrow focus, which calls for a more comprehensive systematic review within the field. Hence, the objective of the present systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression is to evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine solutions versus any comparator without the use of telemedicine on diabetes-related outcomes among adult patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS

This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We considered telemedicine randomized controlled trials (RCT) including adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with T2D. Change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, %) was the primary outcome. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched on October 14, 2020. An overall treatment effect was estimated using a meta-analysis performed on the pool of included studies based on the mean difference (MD). The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was applied and the certainty of evidence was graded using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

The final sample of papers included a total of 246, of which 168 had sufficient information to calculate the effect of HbA1c%. The results favored telemedicine, with an MD of -0.415% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.482% to -0.348%). The heterogeneity was great (I² = 93.05%). A monitoring component gave rise to the higher effects of telemedicine.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, telemedicine may serve as a valuable supplement to usual care for patients with T2D. The inclusion of a telemonitoring component seems to increase the effect of telemedicine.

Health education interventions to promote health literacy in adults with selected non-communicable diseases living in low-to-middle income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Health illiteracy is an important contributor to the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs); in particular in settings where health illiteracy is part of a perpetuating system of risk factors. Interventions that promote health literacy may provide an important tool in the primary and secondary prevention of NCDs. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of health literacy interventions on health literacy in the management of patients with selected NCDs living in low-to-middle income countries (LMIC).

METHODS

Seven electronic databases were searched (October 29, 2020) for RCTs aimed at improving health literacy in adults with NCDs in LMICs. Eligible NCDs included those pertaining to cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic respiratory disease (CRD) or Diabetes. Studies were included that explicitly focussed on improving health literacy, and reported comprehensive measures of health literacy, or components thereof (ie, knowledge, attitude or behaviour). Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted for continuous outcome measures (Hedges-g).

RESULTS

The completed search yielded 2573 unique results of which 53 unique studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies included patients with cancer (n = 1, 2%), CRD (n = 8, 15%), CVD (n = 11, 21%) or Diabetes (n = 33, 62%). A significant (P < .01) summary effect was found for disease knowledge (SES = 1.27 [n = 23, 95%CI = 1.05-1.49]), attitude (SES = 1.17 [n = 20, 95%CI = 0.88-1.47]), and behaviour (SES = 1.20 [n = 31, 95%CI = 0.94-1.46]).

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the conclusion that there is compelling evidence, in particular, for patients with Diabetes, that health-literacy interventions are effective in promoting disease knowledge, attitude and behaviour across four chronic conditions that drive the burden of NCDs.

Impact of pharmacist-involved collaborative care on diabetes management in a primary healthcare setting using real-world data

Background Diabetes mellitus is a complex multi-system disorder, requiring multi-disciplinary care. The conventional care model, where physicians are the sole caregivers may not be optimal. Addition of other healthcare team members improves healthcare outcomes for patients with diabetes. Aim To evaluate the impact of pharmacist-involved collaborative care on diabetes-related outcomes among patients with diabetes attending a primary healthcare setting  in Qatar using real-world data. Method A retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients with diabetes attending Qatar Petroleum Diabetes Clinic. Patients were categorized as either receiving pharmacist-involved collaborative care (intervention group) or usual care (control group). Data were analyzed using SPSS^®. Glycemic control (glycated hemoglobin A₁c, HbA₁c), blood pressure, lipid profile, and body mass index were evaluated at baseline and up to 17 months of follow-up. Results After 17 months of follow-up, pharmacist-involved collaborative care compared to usual care resulted in a significant decrease in HbA₁c (6.8 ± 1.2% vs. 7.1 ± 1.3%, p < 0.01). Moreover, compared to baseline, pharmacist-involved collaborative care significantly improved (p < 0.05) the levels of HbA_1c (7.5% vs. 6.8%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.7 mmol/L vs. 2.8 mmol/L), total cholesterol (5.43 mmol/L vs. 4.34 mmol/L), and body mass index (30.42 kg/m² vs. 30.17 kg/m²) after 17 months within the intervention group. However, no significant changes for these parameters occurred within the control group. Conclusion The implementation of pharmacist-involved collaborative care in a primary healthcare setting improved several diabetes-related outcomes over 17 months. Future studies should determine the long-term impact of this care model.

EMDIA Case Series-Effective Medication Therapy Management (MTM) for Diabetes Type 2 Patients-A Proof of Concept Study

Background: A 2016 meta-analysis of pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes mellitus showed that the following four components were most effective: (a) individual goal setting, (b) sending feedback to the physician, (c) reviewing the medication, and (d) reviewing blood glucose measurements. Methods: To formulate a hypothesis regarding the effect of these four pharmaceutical care components on glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus and the feasibility of these components in practice. Ten patients with type 2 diabetes were included in the case series and received medication therapy management over four months. Results: The four care components were feasible in everyday practice and could be implemented within one patient visit. The average visits were 49 and 28 min at the beginning and end of the study, respectively. The glycated hemoglobin values did not change over the study period, though the fasting blood glucose decreased from 142 to 120 mg/dl, and the number of unsolved drug-related problems decreased from 6.9 to 1.9 per patient by the study end. Conclusions: This case series supports the hypothesis that community pharmacists can implement structured pharmaceutical care in everyday pharmacy practice for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Impact of a motivational interviewing intervention targeting statins on adherence to concurrent hypertension or diabetes medications

OBJECTIVE

This study explored if a motivational interviewing intervention customized for statins impacted adherence to concomitantly used antidiabetic/antihypertensive medications.

METHODS

The intervention was conducted among patients with a history of suboptimal adherence to statins and included 152 patients in intervention and 304 controls. This retrospective study design identified patients with claims for statins and either antidiabetic/antihypertensive medications. The outcome variable was adherence, measured as proportion of days covered ≥ 0.80, to antidiabetic/antihypertensive medications. Multivariable linear and logistic regression evaluated the effect of intervention on adherence to antidiabetic/antihypertensive medications during the 6 months post-intervention.

RESULTS

The antidiabetic group had 53 intervention patients and 102 controls. The antihypertensive group had 80 intervention patients and 159 controls. There was no significant improvement in adherence for antidiabetic/antihypertensive medications following the intervention. Adherence at baseline was a significant predictor of adherence post-intervention in the antidiabetic (OR = 6.5;P < 0.0001) and antihypertensive (OR = 4.1; P = 0.0001 & β = 0.09; P = 0.008) users. Physician specialty (OR = 3.902; P = 0.01& β = 0.09; P = 0.015) among antidiabetic users and age >70 years (OR = 2.148; P = 0.025) among antihypertensive users were predictors of adherence.

CONCLUSION

The intervention targeting statin did not significantly improve antihypertensive/antidiabetic adherence.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Targeted interventions tailored to patient past adherence and specific medications should be explored.

Community pharmacists on the frontline in the chronic disease management: The need for primary healthcare policy reforms in low and middle income countries

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), over 12 million people die yearly from chronic diseases and this number is expected to increase if concerted actions are not taken. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the roles and impact of community pharmacists in chronic disease management support and the need for policymakers in LMICs to reposition community pharmacists appropriately for this extended role. Recent findings have shown that community pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare providers to the members of the community. Published evidence have demonstrated that community pharmacists' interventions in chronic diseases significantly improve economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes. However, they are not officially recognized as primary healthcare providers in LMICs. Therefore, there is need for policy reforms that will encourage strategic use of the clinical skills of community pharmacists as part of the primary healthcare team in LMICs.

Randomised controlled trial of pharmacist-led patient counselling in controlling hypoglycaemic attacks in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (ROSE-ADAM): A study protocol of the SUGAR intervention

INTRODUCTION

Hypoglycaemia is one of the most serious adverse effects of diabetes treatment. Older adults are at the highest risk to develop hypoglycaemia. Several studies have established the important positive role of educational interventions on achieving glycaemic control and other clinical outcomes, however, there is still a lack in studies that evaluate the impact of such type of interventions on hypoglycaemia risk in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist-led patient counselling on reducing hypoglycaemic attacks in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

and analysis: This study is an open-label, parallel controlled randomised trial, which will be conducted in the outpatient clinics at the largest referral hospital in the north of Jordan. Participants who are elderly (age ≥ 65 years), diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and taking insulin, sulfonylurea, or any three anti-diabetic medications will be randomly assigned to intervention (SUGAR Handshake) and control (usual care) groups. The SUGAR Handshake participants will have an interactive, individualised, medications-focused counselling session reinforced with a pictogram and a phone call at week six of enrolment. The primary outcome measure is the frequency of total hypoglycaemic events within 12 weeks of follow up. Secondary outcomes include the frequency of asymptomatic, symptomatic, and severe hypoglycaemic events, hypoglycaemia incidence, and time to the first hypoglycaemic attack. We will also conduct a nested qualitative study for process evaluation.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Lincoln and the Institutional Review Board of King Abdullah University Hospital approved this protocol. The findings of this study will be presented in international conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

The study protocol has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04081766.

Impact of community-pharmacist-led medication review programmes on patient outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

BACKGROUND

The role of pharmacists has evolved over the past few decades from being product-oriented to being service-oriented. Community-pharmacist-led medication review programmes have been commissioned in different countries under different names. The services provided by general pharmacists can have a positive impact on patient health, but the impact of the services offered by community pharmacists is relatively unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of community-pharmacist-based medication review programmes among patients with long-term conditions.

METHODS

The electronic databases Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Embase were searched from their inception until January 2020 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in the English language assessing the effectiveness of community-pharmacist-led medication review programmes on patients' clinical and healthcare utilisation outcomes. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool data statistically, where applicable. The study protocol was published in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42020165693).

RESULTS

Forty-two reports of 40 RCTs were included in the systematic review, and 12 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to the control, a significant improvement was noted in the community-pharmacist-based medication review group for the following outcomes: blood pressure (BP) in patients with diabetes (mean difference [MD] in systolic blood pressure [SBP]: 6.82 [95% CI -11.33, -2.32]; MD in diastolic blood pressure [DBP]: 2.13 [95% CI -3.35, -0.92]) and in the hypertension patients (MD in SBP: 6.21 [95% CI -13.26, 0.85]; MD in DBP: 2.11 [95% CI -6.47, 2.26]), HbA1c in patients with diabetes (MD -0.61; 95% CI -0.96, -0.25), and total cholesterol (TC) in patients with hyperlipidaemia (MD -0.18; 95% CI -0.32, -0.05).

CONCLUSION

Community-pharmacist-led medication review can improve certain clinical and healthcare utilisation outcomes in patients with long-term conditions.

A Community Pharmacy-Based Intervention in the Matrix of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Outcomes (CPBI-T2DM): A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction:

Egypt has the ninth highest diabetes mellitus (DM) prevalence in the world. There is a growing interest in community involvement in DM management.

Aim of the study:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the tailored diabetes care model (DCM) implementation in Alexandria governorate by community pharmacy-based intervention (CPBI) from a clinical, humanistic, and economic aspect.

Methods:

This is a 6-month period cross-over cluster randomized control trial conducted in Alexandria. Ten clusters owing 10 community pharmacies (CPs) recruited 100 health insurance-deprived T2DM patients with >7% HbA1c in 6-months. The study was divided into 2 phases (3 months for each period) with a 1-month washout period in between. After CPs training on DCM, the interventional group received pictorial training for 45 minutes in first visit, and 15 minutes in weekly visits, whereas the control group patients received the usual care (UC). At baseline and end of each phase (3 months), patients had clinical and physical activity assessments, filled all forms of study questionnaire (knowledge, self-management, satisfaction, and adherence) and did all laboratory investigations (Fasting Blood Glucose [FBG]), HbA1c, protein-creatinine clearance (PCR), creatine clearance (GFR), and lipid profile.

Results:

There was no significant difference in the basal systolic and diastolic blood pressure between patients in the CBPI and UC groups, but the CBPI had significantly decreased the mean SBP and DBP by ( P = .008, .040, respectively). Also, significant waist circumference and BMI reductions (−5.82 cm and −1.86 kg/m2, P = .001) were observed in the CBPI. The CBPI patients achieved a greater reduction in FBG and HbA1C than the UC patients (102 mg/dL and 1.9%, respectively P < .001). Also, significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride (−6.4, −15.4, and −6.3 mg/dL respectively, P = .001) were achieved in the CBPI group. No significant differences were found in HDL, GFR, and PCR. Moreover, significant improvements of behavior, score of knowledge, self-management, satisfaction, and adherence were observed in CBPI patients. After multivariate analysis, HbA1C readings were significantly influenced by baseline HbA1C and eating habits. The cost saving for CPBI was −1581 LE per 1% HbA1c reduction.

Conclusion:

This is the first study in Egypt that illustrated the positive impact of pictorial DCM delivered by CPBI collaborative care on clinical, humanistic, laboratory, and economic outcomes to local T2DM patients.

Task-sharing interventions for improving control of diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Task-sharing interventions using non-physician health-care workers might be a potential diabetes management strategy in health systems that are constrained by physician shortages, such as those in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods

We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of task-sharing intervention strategies for managing type 2 diabetes in LMICs. We searched PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL from database inception to Sept 25, 2019, for studies that were randomised control trials or cluster randomised trials with task-shifted or task-shared interventions delivered to adults (≥18 years) by non-physician health workers versus usual care, done in LMICs with glycated haemoglobin (HbA_1c) or fasting blood sugar (FBS) as outcome measures. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Random-effects model meta-analysis was used to estimate the population average pooled mean difference for HbA_1c and FBS with 95% CIs. Our study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42018081015).

Findings

We found 4213 studies from the literature search, of which 46 (1·1%) were eligible for the narrative synthesis, including a total of 16 973 participants. 16 of these studies were excluded from the meta-analysis due to high risk of bias. 24 studies with a total of 5345 participants were included in the meta-analysis of HbA_1c and 18 studies with a total of 3287 participants for FBS. Interventions led to an average reduction in HbA_1c when tasks were delivered by nurses (averaged pooled mean difference −0·54% [95% CI −0·89 to −0·18]; I²=80%) and pharmacists (−0·91% [–1·15 to −0·68]; I²=58%), but not when they were delivered by dietitians (−0·50% [–1·10 to 0·09]; I²=54%) or community health workers (0·05% [0·03 to 0·07]; I²=0%). A reduction in average FBS was also observed when interventions were delivered by pharmacists (average pooled mean difference −36·26 mg/dL [–52·60 to −19·92]; I²=78%) but not nurses (−7·46 mg/dL [–18·44 to 3·52]; I²=79%) or community health workers (−5·41 [–12·74 to 1·92]; I²=71%). Only one study reported on FBS when tasks were delivered by dietitians, with a mean difference of −35·00 mg/dL (−65·96 to −4·04).

Interpretation

Task sharing interventions with non-physician healthcare workers show moderate effectiveness in diabetes management in LMIC settings. Although relatively high heterogeneity limits the interpretation of the overall findings, interventions led by pharmacists and nurses in LMICs with relatively high physician density are effective strategies in the management of diabetes.

Funding

Wellcome Trust–Department of Biotechnology India Alliance.

Interventions for improving medication-taking ability and adherence in older adults prescribed multiple medications

BACKGROUND

Older people taking multiple medications represent a large and growing proportion of the population. Managing multiple medications can be challenging, and this is especially the case for older people, who have higher rates of comorbidity and physical and cognitive impairment than younger adults. Good medication-taking ability and medication adherence are necessary to ensure safe and effective use of medications.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve medication-taking ability and/or medication adherence in older community-dwelling adults prescribed multiple long-term medications.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from inception until June 2019. We also searched grey literature, online trial registries, and reference lists of included studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, and cluster-RCTs. Eligible studies tested interventions aimed at improving medication-taking ability and/or medication adherence among people aged ≥ 65 years (or of mean/median age > 65 years), living in the community or being discharged from hospital back into the community, and taking four or more regular prescription medications (or with group mean/median of more than four medications). Interventions targeting carers of older people who met these criteria were also included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently reviewed abstracts and full texts of eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias of included studies. We conducted meta-analyses when possible and used a random-effects model to yield summary estimates of effect, risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous outcomes, and mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs) for continuous outcomes, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Narrative synthesis was performed when meta-analysis was not possible. We assessed overall certainty of evidence for each outcome using Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Primary outcomes were medication-taking ability and medication adherence. Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life (HRQoL), emergency department (ED)/hospital admissions, and mortality.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 50 studies (14,269 participants) comprising 40 RCTs, six cluster-RCTs, and four quasi-RCTs. All included studies evaluated interventions versus usual care; six studies also reported a comparison between two interventions as part of a three-arm RCT design. Interventions were grouped on the basis of their educational and/or behavioural components: 14 involved educational components only, 7 used behavioural strategies only, and 29 provided mixed educational and behavioural interventions. Overall, our confidence in results regarding the effectiveness of interventions was low to very low due to a high degree of heterogeneity of included studies and high or unclear risk of bias across multiple domains in most studies. Five studies evaluated interventions for improving medication-taking ability, and 48 evaluated interventions for improving medication adherence (three studies evaluated both outcomes). No studies involved educational or behavioural interventions alone for improving medication-taking ability. Low-quality evidence from five studies, each using a different measure of medication-taking ability, meant that we were unable to determine the effects of mixed interventions on medication-taking ability. Low-quality evidence suggests that behavioural only interventions (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38; 4 studies) and mixed interventions (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.37; 12 studies) may increase the proportions of people who are adherent compared with usual care. We could not include in the meta-analysis results from two studies involving mixed interventions: one had a positive effect on adherence, and the other had little or no effect. Very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects of educational only interventions (5 studies) on the proportions of people who are adherent. Low-quality evidence suggests that educational only interventions (SMD 0.16, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.43; 5 studies) and mixed interventions (SMD 0.47, 95% CI -0.08 to 1.02; 7 studies) may have little or no impact on medication adherence assessed through continuous measures of adherence. We excluded 10 studies (4 educational only and 6 mixed interventions) from the meta-analysis including four studies with unclear or no available results. Very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects of behavioural only interventions (3 studies) on medication adherence when assessed through continuous outcomes. Low-quality evidence suggests that mixed interventions may reduce the number of ED/hospital admissions (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.90; 11 studies) compared with usual care, although results from six further studies that we were unable to include in meta-analyses indicate that the intervention may have a smaller, or even no, effect on these outcomes. Similarly, low-quality evidence suggests that mixed interventions may lead to little or no change in HRQoL (7 studies), and very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects on mortality (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.30; 7 studies). Moderate-quality evidence shows that educational interventions alone probably have little or no effect on HRQoL (6 studies) or on ED/hospital admissions (4 studies) when compared with usual care. Very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects of behavioural interventions on HRQoL (1 study) or on ED/hospital admissions (2 studies). We identified no studies evaluating effects of educational or behavioural interventions alone on mortality. Six studies reported a comparison between two interventions; however due to the limited number of studies assessing the same types of interventions and comparisons, we are unable to draw firm conclusions for any outcomes.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Behavioural only or mixed educational and behavioural interventions may improve the proportion of people who satisfactorily adhere to their prescribed medications, but we are uncertain of the effects of educational only interventions. No type of intervention was found to improve adherence when it was measured as a continuous variable, with educational only and mixed interventions having little or no impact and evidence of insufficient quality to determine the effects of behavioural only interventions. We were unable to determine the impact of interventions on medication-taking ability. The quality of evidence for these findings is low due to heterogeneity and methodological limitations of studies included in the review. Further well-designed RCTs are needed to investigate the effects of interventions for improving medication-taking ability and medication adherence in older adults prescribed multiple medications.

Pharmaceutical care-based interventions in type 2 diabetes mellitus : a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Objective

To investigate the impact of pharmaceutical care-based interventions on type 2 diabetes mellitus .

Methods

PubMed^®, Cochrane and Web of Science data bases were searched for randomized controlled clinical trials. Studies evaluating pharmaceutical care-based interventions in type 2 diabetes mellitus published between 2012 and 2017 were included. Glycated hemoglobin was defined as the primary endpoint; blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol as secondary endpoints. The random effects model was used in meta-analysis.

Results

Fifteen trials involving 2,325 participants were included. Meta-analysis revealed considerable heterogeneity (I²>97%; p<0.001), reduction in glycated hemoglobin (-1.07%; 95%CI: -1.32; -0.83; p<0.001), glucose (-29.91mg/dL; 95%CI: -43.2; -16.6; p<0.001), triglyceride (19.8mg/dL; 95%CI: -36.6; -3.04; p=0.021), systolic blood pressure (-4.65mmHg; 95%CI: -8.9; -0.4; p=0.032) levels, and increased HDL levels (4.43mg/dL; 95%CI: 0.16; 8.70; p=0.042).

Conclusion

Pharmaceutical care-based clincal and education interventions have significant impact on type 2 diabetes mellitus . The tools Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale may be useful to monitor patients.

Compared benefits of educational programs dedicated to diabetic patients with or without community pharmacist involvement

Background:

International guidelines on diabetes control strongly encourage the setting-up of therapeutic educational programs (TEP). However, more than half of the patients fail to control their diabetes a few months post-TEP because of a lack of regular follow-up by medical professionals. The DIAB-CH is a TEP associated with the follow-up of diabetic patients by the community pharmacist.

Aim:

To compare the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and body mass index (BMI) in diabetic patients of Control (neither TEP-H nor community pharmacist intervention), TEP-H (TEP in hospital only) and DIAB-CH (TEP-H plus community pharmacist follow-up) groups.

Methods:

A comparative cohort study design was applied. Patients included in the TEP-H from July 2017 to December 2017 were enrolled in the DIAB-CH group. The TEP-H session was conducted by a multidisciplinary team composed of two diabetologists, two dieticians and seven nurses. The HbA1c level and the BMI (when over 30 kg/m2at M0) of patients in Control (n= 20), TEP-H (n= 20) and DIAB-CH (n= 20) groups were collected at M0, M0 + 6 and M0 + 12 months. First, HbA1c and BMI were compared between M0, M6 and M12 in the three groups with the Friedman test, followed by the Benjamini-Hochberg post-test. Secondly, the HbA1c and BMI of the three groups were compared at M0, M6 and M12 using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Findings:

While no difference in HbA1c was measured between M0, M6 and M12 in the Control group, Hb1Ac was significantly reduced in both TEP-H and DIAB-CH groups between M0 and M6 (P= 0.0072 andP= 0.0034, respectively), and between M0 and M12 only in the DIAB-CH group (P= 0.0027). In addition, a significant decrease in the difference between the measured HbA1c and the target assigned by diabetologists was observed between M0 and M6 in both TEP-H and DIAB-CH groups (P= 0.0072 andP= 0.0044, respectively) but only for the patients of the DIAB-CH group between M0 and M12 (P= 0.0044). No significant difference (P> 0.05) in BMI between the groups was observed.

Conclusion:

The long-lasting benefit on glycemic control of multidisciplinary group sessions associated with community pharmacist-led educational interventions on self-care for diabetic patients was demonstrated in the present study. There is thus evidence pointing to the effectiveness of a community/hospital care collaboration of professionals on diabetes control in primary care.

Effectiveness of Diabetes Self-Management Educational Programs For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients In Middle East Countries: A Systematic Review

AIM

This review study aimed to determine the effectiveness and factors affecting the success of DSME programs in T2DM patients living in ME countries.

METHODS

An extensive manual literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar for clinical trials assessing the effect of diabetes self-management education (DSME) for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Middle East countries. Information from the included studies was summarized in relation to study population, sample size, duration of follow-up, characteristics of DSME program, and follow-up time, besides in addition to parameters used in assessment, results, and conclusions. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The effect of DSME on clinical and patient-reported outcomes was measured by calculation of the percentage of DSME studies that produce a significant improvement in these outcomes for patients in intervention group as compared to those in control group. Additionally, the effect of DSME on each clinical outcome was assessed by calculating the mean for the absolute effect of DSME on that outcome.

RESULTS

Twelve studies were included in this review. Heterogeneity was found among included studies in terms of DSME program characteristics, the enrolled patients, duration of follow-up, assessment methods, and obtained outcomes. All clinical glycemic outcomes (glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting, and non-fasting blood glucose), lipid profile (total cholesterol and triglycerides), and body mass index were significantly improved for patients in intervention group as compared to those in control group in at least 60% of the included studies. All patients' reported outcomes (medication adherence, self-management behavior, knowledge, self-efficacy, health belief and quality of life) were significantly improved by the DSME program.

CONCLUSION

DSME programs are highly effective in improving glycemic control, lipid profile and BMI, and modestly effective in improving BP. Thus, they can reduce the risks of developing diabetes complications. Patient diabetes knowledge, DSM behaviors, adherence to medications, self-efficacy, and quality of life can also be significantly improved by DSME.

National survey of diabetes self-management program coordinators views about pharmacists' roles in diabetes education

OBJECTIVES

To examine the viewpoints of diabetes self-management training (DSMT) program coordinators about the roles and engagement of pharmacists who participate in DSMT programs, and the engagement between community pharmacies and DSMT programs by developing and administering a nationwide survey.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods exploratory sequential design; initial qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. Six in-depth interviews of DSMT program coordinators and intensive literature review informed the development of a 20-item survey instrument. Survey responses were descriptively analyzed, and themes were generated from context analysis of open-ended questions to generate the overall findings.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The survey was distributed in 2017 to 742 active American Association of Diabetes Educators DSMT program coordinators in the United States.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Proportion of DSMT programs engaging pharmacists and description of pharmacist's roles. Content areas pharmacists teach in DSMT programs. Challenges faced by pharmacists in completing 1000 direct patient hours as a prerequisite for attaining Certified Diabetes Educator certification and strategies used to overcome them. Perceived benefits of pharmacist involvement by coordinators and patients.

RESULTS

One-third of DSMT programs have pharmacists involved with most using pharmacists as educators. Coordinators believe that pharmacist care is highly beneficial to patients and recognize that community pharmacist's care is an added benefit to patients. However, collaborative practices are not well established between community pharmacists and DSMT programs. Program coordinators identified challenges they face when trying to involve community pharmacists in program delivery.

CONCLUSION

Coordinators of DSMT programs and their patients see pharmacists' care as highly beneficial within DSMT programs. Increasing participation and scope of community pharmacists' involvement is desired by both DSMT coordinators and the patients they serve. There is substantial growth potential for both greater involvement of pharmacists in DSMT programs and enhancing links to community pharmacists' care.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Medication Reviews Conducted by Pharmacists on Cardiovascular Diseases Risk Factors in Ambulatory Care

Background

Pharmacists‐led medication reviews (MRs) are claimed to be effective for the control of cardiovascular diseases; however, the evidence in the literature is conflicting. The main objective of this meta‐analysis was to analyze the impact of pharmacist‐led MRs on cardiovascular disease risk factors overall and in different ambulatory settings while exploring the effects of different components of MRs.

Methods and Results

Searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials database. Randomized and cluster randomized controlled trials of pharmacist‐led MRs compared with usual care were included. Settings were community pharmacies and ambulatory clinics. The classification used for MRs was the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe as basic (type 1), intermediate (type 2), and advanced (type 3). Meta‐analyses in therapeutic goals used odds ratios to standardize the effect of each study, and for continuous data (eg, systolic blood pressure) raw differences were calculated using baseline and final values, with 95% CIs. Prediction intervals were calculated to account for heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the robustness of results. Meta‐analyses included 69 studies with a total of 11 644 patients. Sample demographic characteristics were similar between studies. MRs increased control of hypertension (odds ratio, 2.73; 95% prediction interval, 1.05–7.08), type 2 diabetes mellitus (odds ratio, 3.11; 95% prediction interval, 1.17–5.88), and high cholesterol (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% prediction interval, 1.05–3.46). In ambulatory clinics, MRs produced significant effects in control of diabetes mellitus and cholesterol. For community pharmacies, systolic blood pressure and low‐density lipoprotein values decreased significantly. Advanced MRs had larger effects than intermediate MRs in diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia outcomes. Most intervention components had no significant effect on clinical outcomes and were often poorly described. CIs were significant in all analyses but prediction intervals were not in continuous clinical outcomes, with high heterogeneity present.

Conclusions

Intermediate and advanced MRs provided by pharmacists may improve control of blood pressure, cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, as statistically significant prediction intervals were found. However, most continuous clinical outcomes failed to achieve statistical significance, with high heterogeneity present, although positive trends and effect sizes were found. Studies should use a standardized method for MRs to diminish sources of these heterogeneities.

Do randomised controlled trials relevant to pharmacy meet best practice standards for quality conduct and reporting? A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Evidence-based pharmacy practice requires a dependable evidence base. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard of high-quality primary research, and tools exist to assist researchers in conducting and reporting high-quality RCTs. This review aimed to explore whether RCTs relevant to pharmacy are conducted and reported in line with Cochrane risk of bias and CONSORT standards, respectively.

METHODS

A MEDLINE search identified potential papers. After screening of titles, abstracts and full texts, the 50 most recent papers were reviewed and assessment of bias according to Cochrane domains and compliance with CONSORT checklist items was recorded. Each domain of the Cochrane tool and CONSORT checklist item and each article were given a percentage score, reported as median and interquartile range (IQR). Correlation between quality of conduct, quality of reporting, continent of origin, and journal impact factor was conducted using the R² statistic. The median domain score for risk of bias by paper according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool was 53.0% (IQR 38.5-68.5), while the median compliance score by paper for the CONSORT checklist was 64.0% (IQR 36.0-94.0%).

KEY FINDINGS

The median Cochrane domain and median CONSORT item completion scores, respectively, were 50.0% (IQR 33.3-66.7%) and 59.5% (IQR 52.0-70.3%). The highest risk of bias was associated with allocation concealment and blinding, and the least well-reported items were randomisation details, sequence generation and allocation concealment. A positive relationship between conduct and reporting of RCTs was found (R²  = 0.75), while no correlation was found between quality of conduct or quality of reporting and journal impact factor, correlation coefficients (R²  = 0.06 and R²  = 0.05, respectively).

SUMMARY

This review identified that issues related to randomisation and blinding are often inadequately conducted or not comprehensively reported by researchers conducting pharmacy relevant RCTs, providing useful information for education and future research.

Developing "Aryan:" Diabetes Self-care Mobile Application

Background:

Diabetes as a chronic and progressive disease leads to multiple complications. Therefore, it is important to control and treat it. More effective control of this condition and the provision of therapeutic approaches require awareness and active participation of patients in self-care. In this regard, a smartphone that is accessible to most people at anytime and anywhere and is easily applicable can be useful in self-care diabetes, with the ability to install various applications. This study aimed to develop a diabetes self-care mobile application as a suitable solution for self-managing diabetes for Iranians.

Methods:

We conducted a mixed methods study in three Phases: (1) comparative study of existing mobile applications; (2) developed its object-oriented conceptual model; and (3) developed the initial version of “Aryan” that was approved for production.

Results:

This application was designed for the appropriate diabetes self-care, with following functionalities: The user ID and his/her personal page setting; generating self-care reports such as blood glucose, nutrition, physiological indicators, physical activities, and patient history reports; care setting; providing patient training materials; nutrition control; insulin and other medications control; blood glucose and key tests control; and other paraclinical tests.

Conclusions:

“Aryan” has been designed in compliance with Iranian experts’ opinions. It is expected “Aryan” plays an effective role in self-care of patients with diabetes.

Impact of a Collaborative Pharmaceutical Care Service Among Patients With Diabetes in an Ambulatory Care Setting in Qatar: A Multiple Time Series Study

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is highly prevalent in the Middle East and the burden associated with it is dramatically increasing. Pharmacists working in collaborative healthcare teams have an important role to improve outcomes in the primary care of diabetes.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of a collaborative pharmaceutical care service (CPCS) on improving outcomes among patients with diabetes in a primary care setting.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, multiple time series study involving patients attending an ambulatory diabetes clinic at Qatar Petroleum Healthcare Center in Dukhan, Qatar. Patients' glycated hemoglobin A_1c, fasting plasma glucose, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and lipid profile were obtained at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months of receiving CPCS through a retrospective chart review. A repeated-measures analysis of variance test was used to determine the impact of the intervention on clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Ninety-six patients with diabetes were included in the analyses. There was a statistically significant reduction (ie, improvement) in glycated hemoglobin A_1c by 1.4%, fasting plasma glucose by 41.3 mg/dL, body mass index by 1 kg/m², systolic blood pressure by 14.9 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure by 8.7 mm Hg from baseline to 12 months (P<.001 for all). Nevertheless, no significant reductions were observed in the lipid profile.

CONCLUSIONS

CPCS provision improves clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes over a 12-month follow-up period in a primary healthcare setting. Future studies should determine the long-term impact of a collaborative care model in this setting.

Systematic review of community pharmacy-based and pharmacist-led foot care interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes

Background

To prevent diabetic foot disease, proper foot care is essential for early detection and treatment. Pharmacists are well suited to provide accessible foot care to adults with type 2 diabetes. Limited research has examined this role.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of community pharmacy-based and pharmacist-led foot care interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes compared to usual care. Data sources included MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition and Google Scholar, plus Google and hand-searching. Original research studies reported in English, focused on community pharmacy-based or pharmacist-led foot care interventions were eligible for review. Participants were adults with type 2 diabetes. Studies were summarized narratively; pooled data were not possible.

Results

Seven studies were included in this review, 3 focusing on improving foot self-care behaviours and 4 on promoting foot examinations by the health care provider. Only 2 studies were randomized and were assessed as high quality. Six out of 7 studies reported significantly positive findings related to foot care practices.

Discussion

An opportunity to influence foot care exists at each clinical encounter. Pharmacists are accessible health care practitioners and appropriate to provide a range of diabetes foot care interventions.

Conclusions

Seven studies examined community pharmacy-based and pharmacist-led foot care interventions for people with type 2 diabetes. Community pharmacies and pharmacists are capable of providing a variety of foot care interventions to patients with diabetes, helping detect problems early and leading to prompt intervention.

A Review of Pharmacist-led Interventions on Diabetes Outcomes: An Observational Analysis to Explore Diabetes Care Opportunities for Pharmacists

A strict and adherence treatment is required by the patient with diabetes mellitus and it demands a proper self-medication by the patient. Pharmacists are involved in providing self-management support to the patients. This review evaluates the interventions of pharmacist for patients to improve self-management with diabetes mellitus and also to improve the clinical outcomes of diabetes mellitus. A comprehensive literature search was performed by using different keywords "pharmacist-led intervention," "diabetes," "effect of pharmacist on outcome of diabetes," and "self-management of diabetes" with the help of various electronic databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from the beginning of the database through September 2018. The primary outcome was glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), whereas the secondary outcomes were blood glucose level, blood pressure (BP) measure, body mass index, lipids, adherence to medication, and quality of life. Twenty-five studies comprising 2997 diabetic patients were included in the analysis. Pharmacist-led intervention was involved in all included studies in the form of education on diabetes and its complications, medication adherence, lifestyle, and education about self-management skills. Pharmacist-led interventions are able to reduce HbA1c levels with a mean of 0.75%. Most studies do not expose the material and methods used in pharmacist-led intervention. The variation in the reduction of HbA1c, fasting blood sugar, BP, and lipid profile was due to the lack of this standardization. The included studies indicated that pharmacist-led interventions in diabetes mellitus can significantly improve the outcomes of diabetes mellitus and its complication later on. Hence, these long-term improvements in outcomes added more value of pharmacists in health-care system of the world.

Adherence to medications, self-care activity, and HbA1c status among patients with type 2 diabetes living in an urban area of Iran

Background

Appropriate pharmacotherapy, self-care and adherence to medications are crucial to diabetes control. We aimed to study the diabetes care and glycemic control in patients with type two diabetes living in an urban area of Iran.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, patients with type 2 diabetes who attended a referral university affiliated community pharmacy and an accredited pathobiology laboratory in the 17th district of Tehran were evaluated. Data including demographics, medical and drug history were collected. Self-care activity (Diabetes Self-care Activity Measurement Scale) and medication adherence (8-item Morisky Medication Adherence scale) were also assessed. After completing the questionnaires, the patients were referred to the laboratory for Hemoglobin A1c test.

Results

Three hundred forty-eight patients (60.3% females) were recruited. The mean (SD) of patients' age was 55.82 (12.72) and 75.3%of them were Illiterate or had primary education. Mean (SD) of Hemoglobin A1c levels was 8.39 (2.03) and 33% of patients had levels higher than 9%. Among study patients, 186 (53.4%) patients received monotherapy for diabetes type 2 and 200 (57.5%) patients had low adherence to medications. Physical activity, blood glucose self-monitoring and foot care were domains of self-care with the fewest practice. Re-using a pen or syringe needle more than once was reported by 83% of patients and mean (SD) time of re-using a pen needle was 9.11 (8.74).

Conclusion

Poor glycemic control, low medication adherence, inadequate self-care activities, signals of inappropriate pharmacotherapy and inadequate medical visits and monitoring in the study patients highlight the importance of providing accessible and affordable health care services in the region. Moreover, educational needs of the patients should be considered especially in an area in which the majority of patients are old and illiterate and have low socioeconomic status.

Effect of pharmaceutical care interventions on glycemic control in patients with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Diabetes is a chronic lifelong condition, and adherence to medications and self-monitoring of blood glucose are challenging for diabetic patients. The dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes is largely due to the incidence of type 2 diabetes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIc) besides high-income countries (HIc). We aimed to evaluate whether pharmacist care (PC) service model in LMIc and HIc could improve clinical outcomes in diabetic patients by performing a meta-analysis.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and ProQuest Dissertations Unlimited Published Literature database were searched to find publications pertaining to pharmacist-led intervention in patients with diabetes. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) randomized controlled trials, 2) confirmed diabetic patients (type 1 or type 2), 3) pharmaceutical care intervention by clinical pharmacist or/and multidisciplinary team, and 4) reporting HbA1c at baseline and end of study or the mean change in these values.

Results

A total of 37 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The overall result was significant and in favor of PC intervention on HbA1c change (standard difference in mean values [SDM]: 0.379, 95% CI: 0.208–0.550, P<0.001). The stratified meta-analysis showed that PC was significant in both HIc (n=20; SDM: 0.351, 95% CI: 0.207–0.495) and LMIc (n=15; SDM: 0.426, 95% CI: 0.071–0.780). More than 6 months is needed to obtain adequate effects on clinical diabetes parameters.

Conclusion

Our study presented that an adequate duration of pharmacist-led pharmaceutical care was effective in improving HbA1c in patients with diabetes in both LMIc and HIc.

Pharmacist services for non-hospitalised patients

BACKGROUND

This review focuses on non-dispensing services from pharmacists, i.e. pharmacists in community, primary or ambulatory-care settings, to non-hospitalised patients, and is an update of a previously-published Cochrane Review.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the effect of pharmacists' non-dispensing services on non-hospitalised patient outcomes.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, two other databases and two trial registers in March 2015, together with reference checking and contact with study authors to identify additional studies. We included non-English language publications. We ran top-up searches in January 2018 and have added potentially eligible studies to 'Studies awaiting classification'.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised trials of pharmacist services compared with the delivery of usual care or equivalent/similar services with the same objective delivered by other health professionals.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures of Cochrane and the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group. Two review authors independently checked studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risks of bias. We evaluated the overall certainty of evidence using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 116 trials comprising 111 trials (39,729 participants) comparing pharmacist interventions with usual care and five trials (2122 participants) comparing pharmacist services with services from other healthcare professionals. Of the 116 trials, 76 were included in meta-analyses. The 40 remaining trials were not included in the meta-analyses because they each reported unique outcome measures which could not be combined. Most trials targeted chronic conditions and were conducted in a range of settings, mostly community pharmacies and hospital outpatient clinics, and were mainly but not exclusively conducted in high-income countries. Most trials had a low risk of reporting bias and about 25%-30% were at high risk of bias for performance, detection, and attrition. Selection bias was unclear for about half of the included studies.Compared with usual care, we are uncertain whether pharmacist services reduce the percentage of patients outside the glycated haemoglobin target range (5 trials, N = 558, odds ratio (OR) 0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04 to 2.22; very low-certainty evidence). Pharmacist services may reduce the percentage of patients whose blood pressure is outside the target range (18 trials, N = 4107, OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.55; low-certainty evidence) and probably lead to little or no difference in hospital attendance or admissions (14 trials, N = 3631, OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.11; moderate-certainty evidence). Pharmacist services may make little or no difference to adverse drug effects (3 trials, N = 590, OR 1.65, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.24) and may slightly improve physical functioning (7 trials, N = 1329, mean difference (MD) 5.84, 95% CI 1.21 to 10.48; low-certainty evidence). Pharmacist services may make little or no difference to mortality (9 trials, N = 1980, OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.12, low-certaintly evidence).Of the five studies that compared services delivered by pharmacists with other health professionals, no studies evaluated the impact of the intervention on the percentage of patients outside blood pressure or glycated haemoglobin target range, hospital attendance and admission, adverse drug effects, or physical functioning.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that pharmacist services have varying effects on patient outcomes compared with usual care. We found no studies comparing services delivered by pharmacists with other healthcare professionals that evaluated the impact of the intervention on the six main outcome measures. The results need to be interpreted cautiously because there was major heterogeneity in study populations, types of interventions delivered and reported outcomes.There was considerable heterogeneity within many of the meta-analyses, as well as considerable variation in the risks of bias.

Incidence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in burn intensive care unit: a systematic review

Background

Burn victims admitted in burn intensive care units (ICU) are at a high risk of nosocomial infections generated by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This systematic review aims to estimate the incidence of MRSA among burn patients admitted to the ICU setting, with an emphasis on the incidence rate and antibiotic resistance profile of the MRSA strains.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in five electronic databases limited to publication dates from 1^st January 2000 until 31^st August 2017. After screening n=481 articles, n=21 were found to meet the inclusion criteria of this systematic review.

Results

Results from the meta-analysis revealed that the risk for MRSA isolates in the burn ICU was 55.0% higher (OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.32-0.94). Therefore, timely testing, appropriate hygiene practice and suggested wound care must be practiced while handling such patients.

Conclusion

Further studies are needed to identify the risk factors of MRSA infections among burn patients and to develop new antimicrobial agents for MRSA infections.

Community pharmacist-led interventions and their impact on patients' medication adherence and other health outcomes: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Medication adherence can be defined as the extent to which one's medication-taking behaviour follows that mutually agreed upon by the prescribing physician. Optimal medication adherence is often deemed crucial for the success of a patient's treatment, as suboptimal adherence may lead to treatment failure and unnecessary medical expenditure. Increasing evidence has highlighted the positive contribution community pharmacist-led interventions can have on improving patients' adherence and health outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of the published literature on community pharmacist-led interventions and their effectiveness in improving patients' adherence and health outcomes.

METHODS

A search strategy was developed, aiming to retrieve published reports of community pharmacy interventions worldwide. Medline, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Google Scholar and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses databases were searched. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were collated, relevant data extracted, and a risk of bias assessment undertaken.

KEY FINDINGS

Twenty-two studies were included in the analysis, and their outcomes were reported in 26 peer-reviewed journal articles. Community pharmacist-led interventions have been shown to improve patients' adherence and contribute to better blood pressure control, cholesterol management, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma control. Studies in this review, however, did not report statistically significant effects of interventions on diabetes or depression control.

CONCLUSION

Community pharmacist-led interventions have been shown to contribute to improved adherence and better disease control. Future research should attempt to better understand which particular intervention components make the greatest contribution towards improving adherence and health outcomes, for patients with different medical conditions.

Efficacy of Pharmacist Based Diabetes Educational Interventions on Clinical Outcomes of Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Comparative efficacy of different pharmacist based interventions on glycemic control of type 2 diabetes patients is unclear. This review aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of different pharmacist based interventions on clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across five databases from date of database inception to September 2017. All randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of pharmacist based interventions on type 2 diabetes patients were included for network meta-analysis (NMA). The protocol is available with PROSPERO (CRD42017078854). Results: A total of 43 studies, involving 6259 type 2 diabetes patients, were included. NMA demonstrated that all interventions significantly lowered glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels compared to usual care, but there was no statistical evidence from this study that one intervention was significantly better than the other for reducing HbA1c levels. Pharmacist based diabetes education plus pharmaceutical care showed maximum efficacy for reducing HbA1c levels [-0.86, 95% CI -0.983, -0.727; p < 0.001]. Pharmacist based diabetes education plus pharmaceutical care was observed to be statistically significant in lowering levels of systolic blood pressure [-4.94; 95%CI -8.65, -1.23] and triglycerides levels [-0.26, 95%CI -0.51, -0.01], as compared to the interventions which involved diabetes education by pharmacist, and for body mass index (BMI) [-0.57; 95%CI -1.25, -0.12] in comparison to diabetes education by health care team involving pharmacist as member. Conclusion: The findings of this review demonstrate that all interventions had a significantly positive effect on HbA1c, but there was no statistical evidence from this study that one intervention was significantly better than the other for achieving glycemic control.Pharmacist based diabetes education plus pharmaceutical care showed maximum efficacy on HbA1c and rest of the clinical outcomes.

A randomized controlled study to evaluate the effect of pharmacist-led educational intervention on glycemic control, self-care activities and disease knowledge among type 2 diabetes patients: A consort compliant study protocol

BACKGROUND

Diabetes self-care activities, like, healthy diet, regular exercise, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and rational use of medicines are considered to play a vital role in establishing euglycemia. Health literacy among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Pakistan is very low, which is the most likely cause for poor clinical outcomes. This study is designed to investigate the impact of pharmacist-led educational intervention on glycemic control, self-care activities and disease knowledge among T2DM patients in Pakistan.

METHODS

In this randomized controlled trail, effectiveness of a 6-month pharmacist-led educational intervention will be examined on glycemic control, diabetes self-care activities and disease knowledge of 80 adult T2DM patients (age >30 years) with poorly controlled T2DM (HbA1c> 7%), after randomizing them into intervention and control groups, at diabetes care clinic of Capital Hospital Islamabad, Pakistan.

RESULTS

The primary outcome is change in patients' HbA1c, whereas, changes in self-care activities and patients' disease knowledge are the secondary outcomes. After baseline assessment of their self-care activities and disease knowledge by using validated Urdu versions of Diabetes Self-management Questionnaire (DSMQ) and Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), respectively, interventional group patients will be supplemented with a face-to-face pharmacist-led educational intervention, whereas, the control group will receive usual care. Intervention arm patients will be educated successively at their first follow-up visit (12th week) and telephonically after every 4 weeks. All assessments will be made at baseline and end of trail for both intervention and control groups. Multivariate general linear model will be applied to analyze the effects of the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Glycemic control in T2DM patients requires optimum self-care activities. This study is an attempt to improve self-care behaviors among poorly controlled T2DM patients who are at higher risk of diabetes-associated late complications.

Efficacy of a telephone-based intervention among patients with type-2 diabetes; a randomized controlled trial in pharmacy practice

Background Pharmacists' interventions to improve outcomes of diabetes management have been promising. However, evidence on using telephone-based interventions in pharmacy practice are limited, particularly in developing countries. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a telephone-based intervention to improve care and clinical outcomes in type-2 diabetes. Setting A referral community pharmacy and drug information center. Method We conducted a two-armed randomized controlled trial on 100 patients with type-2 diabetes. The intervention consisted of 16 telephone calls in 3 month by a trained pharmacist working in an academic drug information center, while the control group received usual care. Before random allocation, patients attended a live education session delivered by pharmacists to learn the basics of diabetes care and to confirm the eligibility criteria. Assessments were performed at baseline, month-3 (after intervention), and month-9 (follow-up). Main outcome measure Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Results Eighty four patient completed the trial. Baseline variables were comparable between the two groups and the baseline value of hemoglobin A1c was 8.00 ± 1.44 in the study population. HbA1c was significantly improved in both groups at month-3 (6.97 ± 1.41 vs. 7.09 ± 1.78) and remained steady at month-9 (6.96 ± 1.44 vs. 7.26 ± 1.85). Lipid profile showed small improvements in the intervention group but was not significant. The adherence score and self-care score improvement was significantly higher in the intervention group at month-3 and were maintained at month-9. Conclusion Medication adherence and self-care significantly improved in the telephone-based intervention group. However, the improvement of clinical outcomes might have been diluted due to the live diabetes education session.

Effectiveness of pharmacist-led educational interventions on self-care activities and glycemic control of type 2 diabetes patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Effectiveness of pharmacist-led educational interventions on self-care activities and glycemic control of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients is vague. The purpose of this review is to appraise the effect of pharmacist-led educational interventions on self-care activities and levels of glycated hemoglobin of T2DM patients.

METHODS

Five electronic databases were searched from date of database inception to September 2017. Randomized clinical trials examining the effectiveness of pharmacist-led educational interventions, directed at T2DM patients only, were included for systematic review and meta-analysis. The protocol is available with PROSPERO (CRD42017078854).

RESULTS

Eleven studies, involving n=1,544 T2DM patients, were included in this systematic review. Meta-analysis demonstrated that pharmacist-led interventions had a significant effect on lowering of the levels of glycated hemoglobin (-0.66; 95% CI [-0.83, -0.50]; I ²=58.3%; P=0.008), in comparison to usual care. Self-care activities were assessed by using Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities tool in eight studies. Overall meta-analysis of self-care activities for included studies demonstrated a significant effect of pharmacist-led interventions on improvement of self-monitoring of blood glucose (1.62; 95% CI [0.92, 2.32]; I ²=70.5%; P=0.005), foot care (1.20; 95% CI [0.49, 1.90]; I ²=95.0%; P<0.001), and overall diet (1.16; 95% CI [0.38, 1.93]; I ²=64.2%; P=0.094).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this review demonstrate a significantly positive effect of pharmacist-led educational interventions on HbA1c levels and self-care practices among T2DM patients.