Impact of a Pharmacist-Led Diabetes Care Service for Hispanic Patients at a Free Medical Clinic

This article describes a pharmacist-led diabetes care program implemented at a local free clinic for underserved Hispanic patients with low or no income. Patients are referred to the pharmacist after diagnosis with diabetes for a consultation that includes disease state education, diet/lifestyle education, medication management, and follow-up. The pharmacist works with patients to ensure timely follow-up and adequate medication adjustments to achieve goals. In its first 16 months, this service led to a statistically significant decrease in A1C for Hispanic patients, with an average 2 percentage point reduction in A1C.