Clinical pharmacists supporting patients with diabetes and/or hyperlipidemia in a military medical home.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of clinical pharmacists embedded in primary care at a military facility by reviewing laboratory assessments following pharmacist management of referred patients with diabetes and hyperlipidemia.

METHODS

Electronic medical records of patients who were referred to clinical pharmacists for control of diabetes and/or hyperlipidemia were reviewed for those with at least two encounters during a 6-month period with baseline and follow-up laboratory assessments. As appropriate to patient diagnoses, glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), and body mass index (BMI) were included in assessments. Paired t tests were used to determine the statistical significance of mean changes between the beginning and end of the 6-month period.

RESULTS

In the cohort of patients with diabetes (n = 46), mean A1C decrease over 6 months was 0.9 points (P = 0.004). In the cohort of patients with hyperlipidemia (n = 15), mean LDL-C decrease was 20 mg/dL (P = 0.004). Changes in mean LDL-C, TGs, and BMIs were observed in each group but were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Although small sample sizes limited statistical power in this analysis, results suggest that referral of ambulatory patients to a clinical pharmacist in a military medical home for diabetes and/or hyperlipidemia improved care management.