Pharmacists in Your Doctor's Office Cut A1C by 2%

What Was Studied and Why It Matters

Most people with type 2 diabetes manage their condition through regular visits with a primary care doctor. But doctors are busy, and medication fine-tuning can fall through the cracks. Researchers wanted to know: what happens when a clinical pharmacist joins the primary care team and takes an active role in managing diabetes?

This study, published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, looked at 98 adults with type 2 diabetes whose A1C levels were above 8% — a sign that blood sugar was not well controlled. Half were seen by an embedded pharmacist alongside their doctor; the other half received standard doctor-only care.

What the Researchers Found

The results were striking. After just 3 to 6 months:

• Pharmacist group: A1C dropped by an average of 2.14%
• Doctor-only group: A1C dropped by just 0.15%

That difference is not a rounding error — it is clinically significant and statistically overwhelming. Lowering A1C by two full points meaningfully reduces the risk of serious complications like kidney disease, nerve damage, and vision loss.

The pharmacist group also saw important differences in other areas:

• More frequent phone check-ins to catch problems early
• Faster and more frequent medication adjustments
• Greater use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to track blood sugar in real time
• More help overcoming barriers to affording or accessing medications
• More prescriptions for evidence-based medications that protect the heart and kidneys

What This Means for Real Patients

If your A1C is stubbornly high, this study suggests that access to a clinical pharmacist — not just your doctor — could make a meaningful difference. Pharmacists are medication experts. When they work inside your doctor's office, they have time to review your full medication list, call you between visits, adjust doses more quickly, and help you navigate insurance or cost barriers.

Ask your primary care clinic whether a clinical pharmacist is available as part of your care team. If CGMs are part of your treatment plan, having the right supplies consistently on hand matters just as much as the device itself — MDS Diabetes makes it simple to keep your CGM and diabetes supplies stocked without interruption.

Bottom Line

Having a pharmacist embedded in your primary care clinic may dramatically improve blood sugar control if you have type 2 diabetes with a high A1C. In this study, pharmacist-managed patients saw a 2.14% drop in A1C compared to just 0.15% in the standard care group. More check-ins, faster medication changes, and better access to tools like CGMs all contributed to the difference. If this model is available to you, it is worth asking about.