Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the influence of pharmacist provided patient counseling on patients' perception about the disease management and quality of life in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The present study was a randomized, prospective controlled study conducted over a period of six months in two community pharmacies in Calicut, Kerala, India. A total of seventy (48 male and 22 female) type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were enrolled and randomized into test and control groups. Patients in the test group received patient counseling and patient information leaflets from the pharmacist, where as the control group patients received the counseling and patient information leaflets only at the end of the study. After the baseline, two follow-ups were made with sixty days interval between the follow-ups. During each visit patient's random capillary blood glucose was measured by using a standard Glucometer. Suitably designed and validated knowledge, attitude and practices questionnaire was administered at baseline and final follow up for both test and control group patients to assess the disease management awareness. Audit of diabetes-dependent quality of life questionnaire was administered to measure the quality of life in both control and test group patients at each follow up. At the end of the study, knowledge, attitude and practices scores found markedly improved in test group patients. Mean capillary blood glucose levels were decreased in test group ( P <0.05) and an improvement in mean quality of life scores ( P <0.05) was observed. Where as a reduction of quality of life score ( P <0.05) and a non-significant increase of capillary blood glucose levels ( P >0.05) was observed in the control group patients. The correlation between the capillary blood glucose levels and quality of life scores were also found to be highly significant in the test group (r= 0.955). The results of the study suggests that, pharmacist provided patient counseling has an impact in improving the perception about disease, diet and life style changes and in turn on glycemic control and overall quality of life in diabetic patients. Pharmacist provided patient counseling might be considered as an important element in implementing the disease management program.