Pharmacist-led diabetes care enhances outcomes for cancer patients at UC San Diego
UC San Diego researchers found that cancer patients with diabetes experience better blood sugar control when managed by clinical pharmacists through personalized, remote care, leading to sustained improvements over months.
University of California San Diego researchers found that cancer patients who need diabetes management fare better when their diabetes care comes from clinical pharmacists. Findings from their study are reported in a press release.
The scientists analyzed 79 cancer + diabetes or hyperglycemia cases who received a referral to UC San Diego’s Diabetes Management and Education Clinic (DMEC) over a five year period (2019-2024). According to UC San Diego, “The clinic is staffed by pharmacists who provide individualized diabetes care, including education, medication adjustments and close follow-up through both in-person and telehealth visits.”
Key findings:
Patients who underwent pharmacist-led diabetes care saw “significant and sustained improvements in blood sugar control over three, six and nine months.”
Patients who underwent pharmacist-led diabetes care and who used continuous glucose monitors maintained healthy ranges longer.
Patients who underwent pharmacist-led diabetes care experienced an average hemoglobin A1c drop by 1% after 3-9 months.
Christina Mnatzaganian, Pharm.D., health sciences clinical professor at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and lead author of the study emphasized in a press release, “These improvements were achieved with relatively few visits and largely through remote follow-up, which makes the results especially encouraging. It suggests that pharmacist-led interventions can be both effective and scalable — an important consideration as the number of people living with cancer and diabetes continues to rise.”
