Pooled Results of Community Pharmacy-Based Diabetes Education Programs in Underserved Communities

Gaining access to diabetes education can be a challenge for many people with diabetes, particularly those who reside in rural or underserved communities. Community pharmacies are accessible to patients and serve as an ideal setting for the delivery of health education. This article describes the pooled results of a community pharmacy-based diabetes education program offered in three cities in the northeastern United States and demonstrating a positive impact on patients’ overall metabolic control. CVS Health Connection is a health education resource center that was developed in three CVS/Pharmacy stores located in New Bedford, Mass.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Washington, D.C. Each center offers health information, monitoring services, wellness classes, and referrals to local health resources. The diabetes education program offered through CVS Health Connection is a 12-month, individualized care program based on the American Diabetes Association National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. This study included 381 patients enrolled into the program at all three sites. As a population, the clinical profile of these patients improved significantly after enrollment in the program. In those patients with follow-up measurements, hemoglobin A1c results; fasting blood glucose levels; LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels; systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements; and diabetes knowledge scores all improved statistically (P 0.05). Only HDL cholesterol levels and quality of life scores did not improve significantly. While data for this study were gathered using a real-world collection approach, its results have important implications for community pharmacy-based programs to be developed in the future.