Collaborative services among community pharmacies for patients with diabetes.
BACKGROUND
Patients performing self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) may benefit from community pharmacy services. However, wide-scale implementation of these services is limited. Many pharmacy characteristics (eg, physical layout of the pharmacy, knowledge and competence of the pharmacy team) are reported to be relevant when implementing these services. Still, the importance of local agreements on the division of roles with, for example, local general practitioners or diabetes nurses, is less clear.


OBJECTIVE
To study the association between local collaboration and the level of services provided by community pharmacies to patients performing SMBG.


METHODS
In 2004, we performed a cross-sectional survey among all 1692 Dutch community pharmacies. Data were gathered on provision of services for SMBG, local agreements, and pharmacy characteristics. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. Associations were adjusted for pharmacy characteristics.


RESULTS
About 44% (724) of the community pharmacies returned the questionnaire. Pharmacies that were not involved in local collaborative services on patient counseling reported to provide fewer services compared with those that were involved in such agreements (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.53). Similar findings were observed for agreements on calibration of SMBG equipment (0.17, 0.04 to 0.71). The associations remained after adjusting for pharmacy characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
Local collaboration on the division of roles in diabetes care between healthcare professionals is independently associated with the number of pharmacy services provided to patients performing SMBG.
Storimans
Michiel J
MJ
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences and Scientific Institute Dutch Pharmacists, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Klungel
Olaf H
OH
Talsma
Herre
H
Bouvy
Marcel L
ML
de Blaey
Cornelis J
CJ
D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires