A Pharmacist Visit Improves Diabetes Standards in a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)

Many patients with diabetes do not receive recommended standards of care. Diabetes patients were seen by a pharmacist in a diabetes assessment service (DAS) 1 week prior to a physician appointment to complete diabetes standards. Completion rates of American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards were compared between patients of 5 physicians offered the DAS intervention and a concurrent cohort of randomly selected patients of nonparticipating physicians. A total of 94 patients were seen by DAS; 210 patients comprised the controls. DAS patients had a significantly higher proportion of each standard completed (glycosylated hemoglobin, lipids, foot exam, eye referral, pneumococcal and influenza vaccination, and urine microalbumin) compared with the control group (P < .001). An average of 3.3 ± 1.8 diabetes standards per patient were completed. A planned visit with a pharmacist prior to a physician appointment, with the goal of completing ADA standards of care, was feasible and effective in this university-based family medicine center.