Abstract

EVALUATING IMPACT OF PHARMACIST INTERVENTION IN IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS- A COMMUNITY BASED STUDY

K. Vineetha, Zuleka Ambrin*, A. R. Shabaraya

ABSTRACT

A major global public health problem is diabetes mellitus, which is associated with significant morbidity. Health literacy is thought to include knowledge as a crucial component. Lack of health literacy is linked to a limited understanding of disease and may have an impact on the management of diseases. The goal of the study was to ascertain how the pharmacist's intervention affected Dakshina Kannada residents' awareness of diabetes. A research-constructed, pre- validated questionnaire were used in a prospective interventional study that took place over a 6-month period to evaluate the knowledge among type 2 diabetes patients. 100 patients above the age of 18 from various Dakshina Kannada district locations participated in total. The study preserved gender equality. After the interview, the participants received educational interventions such as patient information leaflets (PILs), the teach-back approach, and verbal counselling. The same individuals were questioned three months after the intervention to get post intervention data. Only a small percentage of the research sample's diabetes patients had adequate understanding of knowledge, according to the study findings. Following the pharmacist's assistance, the study revealed a significant improvement in high knowledge levels from pre-intervention to post-intervention (11%) to (29%) and in medium knowledge levels from pre-intervention to post-intervention (48%) to (67%). In addition, there was a significant drop in low knowledge levels from pre-intervention (41%) to post-intervention (4%). In conclusion, the community-based pharmacist intervention showed a noticeable improvement in the understanding of type 2 diabetes patients. This study emphasizes the potential for pharmacists to play a significant role in patient education and empowerment in the management of diabetes, thereby improving the health outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes.

Keywords: Diabetes, Knowledge, Interventions, Pharmacists, Heath literacy.