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
Sarah Al Assaf, Romána Zelkó, Balázs Hankó
Abstract
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.