Pharmacists can be a useful and cost-effective addition to primary care practices, Hae Mi Choe, PharmD, said here American College of Physicians annual meeting. Pharmacists "can assess and address barriers to medication adherence," said Choe, who is director of pharmacy innovations and partnerships at the University of Michigan Medical Group in Ann Arbor. Medication non-adherence is the largest avoidable cost in the health system, and drug-related morbidity costs the nation an estimated $290 billion annually, she said.

According to a new study published by the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, the investigators found that the Diabetes Intensive Medical Management (DIMM) clinic saved $5287 per patient over only 3 years. This resulted in a return on investment of $9.01 for every $1 allocated to the DIMM clinic, according to the study.

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The researchers previously discovered that patients treated at the DIMM clinic reduced A1C levels by an average of 2.4% after 6 months, while other patients only achieved an 0.8% reduction. Patients treated at the clinic were also less likely to gain weight or experience low glucose levels compared with others.

Hemoglobin A1c levels fell by 2.4% in veterans with diabetes whose primary care physicians referred them to a 6-month pharmacist-led intense management clinic, compared with a 0.2% drop in similar patients who did not attend the clinic. That translates to a $9,104 reduction in estimated 3-year medical costs for each patient seen in the clinic and a $1,803 drop in costs in the comparison group.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has issued a revised position paper that lays out the professional relationship between pharmacists and family physicians. The AAFP recognizes the role of pharmacists as part of an integrated health care team. The paper calls on pharmacists and physicians to work collaboratively "so that their combined expertise is used to optimize the therapeutic effect of pharmaceutical agents in patient care."