The protocol for diabetic foot care services by community pharmacists in Thailand

Abstract

Most of diabetic patients are risk for developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) which lead to lifelong disability and diminish the quality of life. Comparative with the patients who have no history of foot complications, the patients who have a history of foot complications have a mortality rate of 3.5 times. There are many international articles showing the important roles and abilities of pharmacists, including and how they can provide services for diabetic foot patients. Despite there are no services available for diabetic foot care in pharmacies in Thailand, this article attempts to encourage community pharmacists with the aim of providing a better care for diabetic patients by developing a protocol for diabetic foot care services in community pharmacy. The protocol was adopted from Standard management of Diabetes Mellitus, Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes in Thailand and Clinical Practice Guideline: Prevention and Management of Diabetic Foot Complications. Key component services: Screening, Inspection, Treatment of bacterial infection, Education and Referral established in the protocol. This protocol is an opportunity and extended challenging services for community pharmacists in Thailand to help the diabetic patients to reduce their risk factors and have a better quality of life.