Enhancing Type 2 Diabetes Management through Patient-Centric Pharmacist Counselling: A Comprehensive Study

Published on: January 2025 Indian Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 2025; 18(3):299-307. Review Article| doi: 10.5530/ijopp.20250224Authors and affiliation (s): Thanuji Fernando1, Chathula Munasinghe1, Hasitha Liyanaarachchi1, Rumesh Nelumdeniya1,*, Rohini Fernandopulle2 1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Colombo, SRI LANKA. 2Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Colombo, SRI LANKA. ASTRACT Introduction: Patient counselling has been shown to significantly enhance lifestyle modifications and medication adherence in the management of non-communicable diseases. Research Design and Methods: A single-centre, prospective, randomized, controlled, interventional study was conducted at a leading tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka to investigate the impact of pharmacist-led patient counselling on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) based lifestyle changes and treatment in Type 2 Diabetic Mellitus (T2DM). Baseline KAP scores were initially assessed via a comprehensive questionnaire administered to all participants. Subsequently, only the test group received targeted counselling from a pharmacist, complemented by a detailed educational leaflet. Results: After 2 months, a follow-up assessment revealed a significant increase in the test group’s mean KAP score from 39.11±5.82 to 49.02±3.39 (p=0.00; p<0.05), indicating the effectiveness of the intervention. Furthermore, there was a marked improvement in the test group’s average Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) levels, which decreased from 147.58±43.30 mg/dL to 134.13±40.02 mg/dL. A positive correlation was observed between baseline knowledge and educational level (p=0.012), underscoring the role of education in disease management. However, no significant changes were noted in Body Mass Index (BMI) in either group (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that enhancing KAP through patient counselling can positively influence the overall management of T2DM. Keywords: Patient Counselling, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Type 2 DM.