Pharmacist-led multidisciplinary care may enhance diabetes self-management, yet evidence from Taiwan is limited. This study evaluates the impact of such interventions on health literacy, medication adherence, and clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods
A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study was conducted at Taipei City Hospital (April to December 2021) with 70 adults allocated into a pharmacist-led care group or standard care group. The intervention included medication management, diabetes education, and structured follow-ups. Generalized estimating equations analyzed changes in health literacy, medication adherence, weight, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), A1C, fasting glucose, and total cholesterol (TC).
Results
The intervention group achieved a 21.1% increase in health literacy and a 20.4% improvement in medication adherence (P < .01). Significant reductions were observed in weight (B = –0.16, P < .01) and LDL-C (B = –12.83, P = .02). Differences in A1C, fasting glucose, and TC were not statistically significant, although time effects suggested overall improvement.
Conclusions
Pharmacist-led care significantly improved health literacy, adherence, and some clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. These findings highlight the value of integrating pharmacists into multidisciplinary teams to enhance chronic disease management.
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