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ARLINGTON, Va. — A study in the journal Population Health Management found that diabetes patients had improved health outcomes when pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services were part of their disease therapy.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores said Friday that the study, "Optimal Diabetes Care Outcomes Following Face-to-Face Medication Therapy Management Services," revealed that diabetes patients managed their condition better with pharmacist-led MTM services than diabetes patients who didn’t use such MTM services.
"Patients in the MTM group had higher rates of optimal diabetes management while they had face-to-face encounters with MTM pharmacists," researchers in the study stated.
When MTM services were discontinued, patients in that group returned to measurement levels that didn’t differ much from their baseline levels before the start of this research.
"Patients with chronic diseases like diabetes may achieve better outcomes from regular follow-up with an MTM pharmacist to sustain the beneficial effect," the study concluded.
NACDS noted that such findings show that medication counseling by pharmacists is key to improving patient health.
"This study really showcases the positive impact of pharmacist-provided MTM services for patients suffering from chronic diseases," NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson said in a statement. "The face-to-face medical intervention by a pharmacist is irreplaceable and, as evidenced in this study, an important component of chronic disease patient management."
