The role of pharmacists in diabetes management in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Objective: To evaluate the services rendered by pharmacists, including the education offered, and the counseling barriers that are involved in providing necessary pharmaceutical care to patients with diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a representative sample of licensed pharmacists from Abu Dhabi. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and validated through pilot study and consisted of the demographics, counseling services, education provided, and barriers involved in providing pharmaceutical care to patients with diabetes. A total of 68 questions (20 closed-ended and 48 open-ended), of which the closed-ended questions used a 5-point Likert-type scale to evaluate responses (1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = usually, 5 = always). The data obtained were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®) program. Inferential statistics (chi-square test) was used to identify any significant differences between the responses of the participants regarding certain statements in the questionnaire with a p-value of < 0.05 Results: The response rate was 60%, and the results indicated that over 35% of the pharmacists surveyed were actively involved in providing basic services to patients with diabetes. More than half of the respondents (45–75%) made a positive contribution towards educating patients on the role of medication in diabetic management. Less than 30% of pharmacists always provided counseling services on diabetes-associated complications. Almost 40% of the pharmacists always provided necessary insights relating to the need for a healthy lifestyle and living choices. Time constraints (89%) and workload (89.7%) represent the main barriers to providing diabetic care. Chi-square test was performed to determine the proportional differences in response patterns between gender, years of work experience, and average number of patients/customers per day. This is then compared with education services which seems to be differed from expected individual distribution indicating positive correlation. Conclusions: A positive impact seems to be reflected on diabetes care management, and thus, a collaborative approach between the pharmacist and practitioners is a welcome move.