title: Impact of a community-based diabetes self-management program on key metabolic parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Characterize the impact of a pharmacist-led diabetes self-management program on three key metabolic parameters: glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) among employee health program participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-insured company in the Kansas City metropolitan area began offering a pharmacist-led diabetes self-management program to eligible company employees and their dependents in 2008. A retrospective pre-post analysis was conducted to determine if the program affected key metabolic parameters in participants by determining mean change after one year of participation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 183 program participants, 65 participants met inclusion criteria. All three key metabolic parameters were significantly reduced from baseline to one year of program participation: HbA1c decreased from 8.1 % to 7.3% (p=0.007); LDL-C decreased from 108.3 mg/dL to 96.4 mg/dL (p=0.009); and MAP decreased from 96.1 to 92.3 mm Hg (p=0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pharmacist-led diabetes self-management program demonstrated significant reductions in HbA1c, LDL-C, and MAP from baseline to one year of program participation. Improvements were statistically significant and clinically relevant for each parameter. Previous studies indicate these reductions may cause reduced overall healthcare costs.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Project Specialist. Balls Food Stores-Price Chopper Pharmacy. Overland Park, KS ( United States ). courtney.johnson@ballsfoods.com.
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Community Pharmacy Residency Director, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas . Kansas City, KS ( United States ). jruisinger@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Janelle F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ruisinger
authors.affiliation: Pharmacist-in-Charge, Balls Food Stores-Price Chopper Pharmacy. Overland Park, KS ( United States ). jessica.bates@ballsfoods.com.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.affiliation: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas . Kansas City, KS ( United States ). bbarnes@ku.edu.
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
keywords: Diabetes Mellitus; Longitudinal Studies; Patient Education as Topic; Pharmaceutical Services; United States