Systematic review of community pharmacy–based and pharmacist-led foot care interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Background:

To prevent diabetic foot disease, proper foot care is essential for early detection and treatment. Pharmacists are well suited to provide accessible foot care to adults with type 2 diabetes. Limited research has examined this role.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review of community pharmacy–based and pharmacist-led foot care interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes compared to usual care. Data sources included MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition and Google Scholar, plus Google and hand-searching. Original research studies reported in English, focused on community pharmacy–based or pharmacist-led foot care interventions were eligible for review. Participants were adults with type 2 diabetes. Studies were summarized narratively; pooled data were not possible.

Results:

Seven studies were included in this review, 3 focusing on improving foot self-care behaviours and 4 on promoting foot examinations by the health care provider. Only 2 studies were randomized and were assessed as high quality. Six out of 7 studies reported significantly positive findings related to foot care practices.

Discussion:

An opportunity to influence foot care exists at each clinical encounter. Pharmacists are accessible health care practitioners and appropriate to provide a range of diabetes foot care interventions.

Conclusions:

Seven studies examined community pharmacy–based and pharmacist-led foot care interventions for people with type 2 diabetes. Community pharmacies and pharmacists are capable of providing a variety of foot care interventions to patients with diabetes, helping detect problems early and leading to prompt intervention.