Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Led Chronic Disease Management vs. Usual Care

Direct care by clinical pharmacists of patients with chronic diseases is increasingly common and, to a growing extent, is supported by state and federal licensing laws and insurance reimbursement. In this systematic review of 63 U.S. studies (median duration, 52 weeks; most in primary care settings), investigators compared outcomes of pharmacist-led chronic disease management with those of usual care in >33,000 community-dwelling adults. Patients had one or more chronic conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension), and pharmacists were responsible for at least one of several components of chronic-disease management (e.g., medication monitoring, medication review, patient education and support, independent prescribing).

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