Counseling practice of community pharmacists for diabetes mellitus patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Objective: Pharmacists monitor diabetic patients more often than any other healthcare providers. It is important that they have appropriate counseling practice on diabetes mellitus management. The aim of this study is to assess the counseling practice of community pharmacists for diabetes mellitus patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Results: Among 300 community pharmacy professionals, 58.3% were male. Nearly half of the community pharmacy professionals delivered appropriate counselling service on the appropriate time to administer each oral anti-diabetic drug and missed oral dose. Only 15.3% of the community pharmacy professionals gave proper counselling on the importance of continuous screening for nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy.