Min Ji Park, Alanah Bratley, Colleen Lauster, Sarah Muench
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of pharmacist-led management of GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as compared to usual care by a physician. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at an outpatient clinic. Adult patients with T2DM who received an initial prescription for dulaglutide, liraglutide, oral or injectable semaglutide, or tirzepatide during the study period of January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2024, were included. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on the care they received: management by a clinical pharmacist (pharmacist-managed care) or by a resident physician (usual care). Data was collected from the initiation of the GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA) or GIP/GLP-1 RA to 6 months after initial or treatment discontinuation. The primary outcome was the net change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline to the end of the study period. RESULTS: This study included 128 patients: 24 pharmacist-managed and 104 usual care patients. The pharmacist-managed group had a mean 19.9% (SD, 13%) reduction in HbA1c from baseline, compared to a 10.2% (SD, 20.9%) reduction in the usual care group (P = 0.03). The pharmacist-managed group also saw greater improvements in de-escalation of insulin and average number of GLP-1 RA and GIP/GLP-1 RA dose titrations. CONCLUSION: Pharmacist-led management of GLP-1 RA or GIP/GLP-1 RA therapy resulted in a greater improvement in HbA1c when compared to usual care.