Pharmacist Outreach Can Help Reduce Hypoglycemia Risk | ADA 2025
Data presented at ADA 2025 showed patients who received outreach from a clinical pharmacist were more likely to be prescribed safer diabetes regimens.
Clinical pharmacist outreach can help improve medication optimization and outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes who are at risk for hypoglycemia, according to data presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 85th Scientific Sessions, which were held June 20-23 in Chicago, Illinois.1
Pharmacist Outreach Can Help Reduce Hypoglycemia Risk | ADA 2025 / Rene L - stock.adobe.com
Diabetes impacts over 37 million Americans, while an estimated 96 million adults have prediabetes. The prevalence of this chronic condition continues to increase, driven by factors such as obesity, aging, physical inactivity, and broader social determinants of health. These trends pose significant challenges to public health, clinical care, and health care costs. Without effective prevention strategies, early diagnosis, and sustained management, the personal and societal burden of diabetes is expected to rise in the coming years.2
Hypoglycemia is a serious complication in patients with type 2 diabetes and predicting events remains difficult due to their multifactorial causes. Each episode not only causes physical and psychological harm but also increases the risk of recurrence. Hypoglycemia is linked to dementia, cardiovascular events, and mortality, and contributes to fear and reduced self-management. Despite its serious consequences, it is among the most preventable diabetes-related complications.3
A team of investigators from Kaiser Permanente conducted a study to assess if proactive outreach by a clinical pharmacist would result in safer medication regimens for patients with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for hypoglycemia. The randomized trial took place at a large, integrated healthcare delivery system.
The study cohort included 200 patients with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis who were at high risk for hypoglycemia. Of those patients, 100 received outreach by a clinical pharmacist and 100 received usual care. During the outreach, pharmacists used an evidence-based hypoglycemia prevention algorithm called Hypoglycemia on a Page. Investigators then performed an intention to treat analysis to compare the proportion of patients who were prescribed safer medication regimens.
The study found that patients who received outreach from a clinical pharmacist were more likely to be prescribed safer regimens compared to patients who received usual care. The patients who received pharmacist outreach also experienced fewer hypoglycemia-related emergency department or inpatient visits. Additionally, patients who received pharmacist outreach did not experience worsening HbA1c control.
“We demonstrated that adding clinical pharmacists into collaborative team-based care improves medication optimization and patient outcomes,” the authors concluded. “This approach provides an evidence-based, targeted strategy for preventing severe hypoglycemia in high-risk individuals that enhances patient safety and potentially reduces overall health care cost.”
Read more from our coverage of the ADA’s 85th Scientific Sessions.
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