title: Can community retail pharmacist and diabetes expert support facilitate insulin initiation by family physicians? Results of the AIM@GP randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of external diabetes support provided by diabetes specialists and community retail pharmacists to facilitate insulin-prescribing in family practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A stratified, parallel group, randomized control study was conducted in 15 sites across Canada. Family physicians received insulin initiation/titration education, a physician-specific 'report card' on the characteristics of their type 2 diabetes (T2DM) population, and a registry of insulin-eligible patients at a workshop. Intervention physicians in addition received: (1) diabetes specialist/educator consultation support (active diabetes specialist/educator consultation support for 2 months [the educator initiated contact every 2 weeks] and passive consultation support for 10 months [family physician initiated as needed]); and (2) community retail pharmacist support (option to refer patients to the pharmacist(s) for a 1-hour insulin-initiation session). The primary outcome was the insulin prescribing rate (IPR) per physician defined as the number of insulin starts of insulin-eligible patients during the 12-month strategy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consenting, eligible physicians (n = 151) participated with 15 specialist sites and 107 community pharmacists providing the intervention. Most physicians were male (74%), and had an average of 81 patients with T2DM. Few (9%) routinely initiated patients on insulin. Physicians were randomly allocated to usual care (n = 78) or the intervention (n = 73). Intervention physicians had a mean (SE) IPR of 2.28 (0.27) compared to 2.29 (0.25) for control physicians, with an estimated adjusted RR (95% CI) of 0.99 (0.80 to 1.24), p = 0.96.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An insulin support program utilizing diabetes experts and community retail pharmacists to enhance insulin prescribing in family practice was not successful. Too few physicians are appropriately intensifying diabetes management through insulin initiation, and aggressive therapeutic treatment is lacking.
authors: Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, 245-100 Collip Circle, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, Canada. sharris1@uwo.ca
authors: Stewart B
authors: SB
authors: Harris
authors: Hertzel C
authors: HC
authors: Gerstein
authors: Jean-François
authors: JF
authors: Yale
authors: Lori
authors: L
authors: Berard
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Stewart
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Webster-Bogaert
authors: Jordan W
authors: JW
authors: Tompkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013038:Specialization
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin