The role of Primary Care Pharmacists in the care of patients with diabetes – a narrative review of studies in the United Kingdom

Problem

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the UK with approximately 3.3 million patients living with diabetes in 2019 in England. Diabetes management in the primary care system should be a multidisciplinary process. Pharmacists have an increasingly important role in the community diagnosis and management of diabetes and evidence suggests their impact on clinical outcomes is beneficial. However, it is not known to what extent pharmacists contribute to diabetes management in primary care in the United Kingdom.

Approach

The aim of this study is to identify recent or current UK based initiatives involving pharmacists in diabetes care in general practice. Medline and CINAHL databases were searched, with relevant websites such as PSNC and PCDS. Any publication type were included.

Findings

3002 titles were screened, of which 10% were double-screened by two independent reviewers. 21 articles reporting on outcomes were included for data analysis. 19 of these involved community pharmacies, while 2 reported on other pharmacist roles within general practice. The type of included publications were diverse (peer-reviewed research paper, n=14; service evaluation, n=3; service case studies, n=4). Findings indicated that a range of interventions can be delivered by pharmacists which are generally positively valued by patients, pharmacists, commissioners and primary healthcare staff; and improve clinical outcomes where reported. The community pharmacy is a convenient, accessible setting for screening, diagnosing and assisting the management of diabetes.

Consequences

Various pharmacist roles can support the care for patients with diabetes in the primary care setting. It is encouraged that general practitioners are aware of services being offered by community pharmacies.