Pharmacist Intervention Improves Hypoglycemia Awareness in Patients With Diabetes

Pharmacist-initiated diabetes education in the community setting significantly improved patient knowledge of hypoglycemia symptoms and treatment, according to new findings in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

“Hypoglycemia is a complication of diabetes and can have considerable clinical impact on mortality, morbidity, and quality of life,” wrote Urvinder Kaur, PharmD, RPh, board of directors, Massachusetts Pharmacists Association, and coauthors. “With community pharmacies often being an accessible means of health care, there is potential for widespread diabetes education in this setting.”

Pharmacists in Suffolk County, Massachusetts educated patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes who were of middle-to-lower class income and medically underserved. Authors noted most patients were older adults, Hispanic, and Asian.

The intervention significantly improved patient knowledge of hypoglycemia, including awareness of signs and symptoms as well as treatment (P<.001). Patients scored an average of 6.4 points higher on the hypoglycemia questionnaire after receiving the education, compared to before (maximum score=9, P<.001).

Additionally, pharmacists dispensed glucagon prescriptions to 28.5% of eligible participants and administered 25.8% of 58 recommended vaccinations.

Patients were satisfied overall with the intervention, with an average score of 4.7 out of 5, higher numbers being more favorable.

“An educational service in a community pharmacy setting can provide effective education to recognize signs, symptoms, and proper treatment of hypoglycemia in patients on diabetes therapy that carry a high-risk,” authors concluded.

Reference:
Kaur U, Machado M, Mistry A. Hypoglycemia: A closer look at a community pharmacist’s impact in optimizing diabetes care. J Am Pharm Assoc. Published online April 12, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2022.04.002