ROLE OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL CARE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Objective: The study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of pharmaceutical care on the control of clinical parameters, such as fasting glycaemia and glycosylated haemoglobin also to assess drug therapy problems in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Setting: the study was conducted at Diabetic Center in Sulaimany/Iraq, during 18 September 2010 -20 January 2011.

Methods: A prospective and randomized control trial study was conducted with 130 type 2 diabetes patients with glycosylated haemoglobin of higher than 7.0%, they were divided into two groups: (i) pharmaceutical care (intervention) group (n=65), and (ii) the control group (n=65). They were monitored for 3 consecutive visits. Patients in the control group received usual medical care, but patients in the intervention group received both standard medical care and pharmaceutical care.

Results: At the end of the study, a statistically significant reduction was observed in the glycemic levels of patients in the intervention group whilst a small reduction, which is statistically not significant, was detected in the control group. Furthermore, the follow-up of the intervention group by a pharmacist contributed to the resolution of 108 drug therapy problems identified.

Conclusion: pharmaceutical care process provided by pharmacist to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus could yield measurable improvements in the glycemic control, resolution of drug therapy problems and improvements in the compliance toward antidiabetic medication.