Abstract
Background
The extent to which diabetes-related services provided by pharmacists to Indigenous communities in Canada is largely unknown.
Objectives
To describe diabetes-related services pharmacists provide to those living in Indigenous communities, and barriers and facilitators to providing services.
Methods
A mixed-methods design was used. A questionnaire was adapted to assess diabetes-related services pharmacists provide to those living in Indigenous communities, along with barriers/facilitators experienced. A SurveyMonkey link was emailed to all Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan members. For those interested in providing more detail, semi-structured interviews were performed via ZOOM. Interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis and analyzed using NVivo software.
Results
In total, 55 pharmacists accessed the questionnaire, and 9 volunteered to be interviewed. A wide range of diabetes-related services are offered; for example, 83% (39/47) often/always counsel on how to use a blood or continuous glucose monitor. Key barriers identified were patient receptiveness (72.1%; 31/43) and access to communities (65.1%; 28/43), and positive patient/community feedback (78.6%; 33/42) was seen as a key facilitator. Interviews revealed the main requested services were related to: medication management, device education, healthy eating, and managing hyperglycemia and related conditions. Major barriers were categorized into four themes: patient-related barriers; workforce and systematic barriers; accessibility barriers; and interprofessional and workplace challenges. Empowerment and collaboration, enhancing access to care, patient engagement, and fostering trust were key facilitators.
Conclusions
Identification of the diabetes-related services provided by pharmacists, along with the barriers and facilitators to their delivery, can potentially lead to opportunities for improved health care delivery.