Pharmacist contributions in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Southeast Asia: a narrative review

Background The growing burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Southeast Asia puts pharmacists in the ideal position to provide management of DM. This narrative review aims to describe the evidence of pharmacist contribution in improving DM in Southeast Asia. Content A literature search was conducted to identify relevant research articles published from 2010 to 2018 in four databases (Scopus, Pubmed, MEDLINE, and Springerlink) describing pharmacist roles and activities intended to improve management of DM in Southeast Asian countries. Results were synthesized narratively and divided into three main sections: (1) the role of pharmacist in DM management, (2) the impact of pharmacist role, and (3) the barriers to the implementation of services in DM management. A total of 16 studies were identified, of which ten studies mentioned services that were conducted exclusively by a pharmacist and the remaining collaborated with other health professionals. A number of pharmacist services were reported including prevention, dispensing, medication review, drug information services, patient counselling and education, monitoring, follow-up, and referral. Barriers related to individual, organizational, and public recognition were described. Summary and outlook The Pharmacist can contribute to improve DM management in a variety of settings. Action research on pharmacist intervention in DM is recommended.