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Community pharmacists can positively affect patient medication adherence during the 6-month period following counseling by a pharmacist along with an improvement in patient BP. However, there is much room for improvement in PC programs and in the number of patients who properly adhere to their medications.

BackgroundAmerican Indians/Alaska Natives have a greater increased risk for diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Lifestyle interventions are effective in preventing and treating diabetes, and an interprofessional approach is important in diabetes management.Community ContextThe Penobscot Nation has a health center with a wide range of services. Our goal with the Nation was to 1) establish an interprofessional, student-facilitated diabetes clinic in the health center; 2) assess the clinic’s preliminary impact.MethodsRelationship building and problem solving was instrumental in working toward the first goal. A survey was developed to assess satisfaction with the clinic. The clinical outcomes, mean and median values of HbA1c, were calculated at baseline (spring 2013) and were used to establish 2 groups of patients: those with controlled levels (<7%) and those with uncontrolled levels (≥ 7%). HbA1c was reassessed in fall 2013. Changes in HbA1c were calculated and compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.OutcomesThe student-facilitated, interprofessional diabetes clinic has operated for 2 years, and changes are under way. More than 90% of participants reported being well satisfied with the clinic in the first year. Among the group with uncontrolled HbA1c (n = 18), mean HbA1c values declined from 9.3% to 7.6% (P = .004). Among the group with controlled HbA1c (n = 30), 83% were controlled at follow-up.InterpretationThe Penobscot diabetes clinic is evolving to meet the needs of community members, and pharmacy students have an interprofessional practice site well suited for experiential learning.

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