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WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Pharmaceutical care programmes delivered by pharmacists are known to improve quality of care for both ambulatory and hospitalized patients with a variety of chronic and acute conditions. • Reduction of HbA1c and normalization of blood pressure are key targets for diabetes care programmes, since they are key to reducing diabetes complications. • Good knowledge about disease, medications, diet and exercise requirements can improve the effectiveness of self-management of diabetes. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • In a randomized, controlled clinical trial, a comprehensive pharmaceutical care programme (consisting of patient education and advice on medication adherence, metabolic control and life style) delivered by a clinical pharmacist over a 12-month period, significantly improved glycaemic control and health-related quality of life in Type 2 diabetes patients attending a military hospital outpatient clinic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). • A significant reduction in HbA1c was important in the reduction of the 10-year coronary heart disease risk scores (by British National Formulary and Framingham methods) seen in patients who received the present care programme. • The outcomes of this study advocate an increased role for clinical pharmacists in the healthcare system in the UAE. AIMS To examine the influence of a pharmaceutical care programme on disease control and health-related quality of life in Type 2 diabetes patients in the United Arab Emirates. METHODS A total of 240 Type 2 diabetes patients were recruited into a randomized, controlled, prospective clinical trial with a 12-month follow-up. A range of clinical measures, medication adherence and health-related quality of life (Short Form 36) were evaluated at baseline and up to 12 months. Intervention group patients received pharmaceutical care from a clinical pharmacist, whereas control group patients received their usual care from medical and nursing staff. The primary outcome measure was change in HbA1c. British National Formulary and Framingham scoring methods were used to estimate changes in 10-year coronary heart disease risk scores in all patients. RESULTS A total of 234 patients completed the study. Significant reductions ( P < 0.001) in mean values (baseline vs. 12 months; 95% confidence interval) of HbA1c[8.5% (8.3, 8.7) vs. 6.9% (6.7, 7.1)], systolic [131.4 mmHg (128.1, 134.7) vs. 127.2 mmHg (124.4, 130.1)] and diastolic blood pressure [85.2 mmHg (83.5, 86.8) vs. 76.3 mmHg (74.9, 77.7)] were observed in the intervention group; no significant changes were noted in the control group. The mean Framingham risk prediction score in the intervention group was 10.56% (9.7, 11.4) at baseline; this decreased to 7.7% (6.9, 8.5) ( P < 0.001) at 12 months but remained unchanged in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The pharmaceutical care programme resulted in better glycaemic control and reduced cardiovascular risk scores in Type 2 diabetes patients over a 12-month period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) have a disproportionately high burden of chronic diseases, with inequalities in health care access and quality services. This study aimed to assess patients' preferences for healthcare services for chronic disease management among adult patients in Bangladesh. Methods: The present analysis was conducted among 10,385 patients suffering from chronic diseases, drawn from the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016–2017. We used the multinomial logistic regression to investigate the association of chronic comorbid conditions and healthcare service‐related factors with patients' preferences for healthcare services. Results: The top four dimensions of patient preference for healthcare services in order of magnitude were quality of treatment (30.3%), short distance to health facility (27.6%), affordability of health care (21.7%) and availability of doctors (11.0%). Patients with heart disease had a 29% significantly lower preference for healthcare affordability than the quality of healthcare services (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 0.71; 0.56–0.90). Patients who received healthcare services from pharmacies or dispensaries were more likely to prefer a short distance to a health facility (RRR = 6.99; 4.80–9.86) or affordability of healthcare services (RRR = 3.13; 2.25–4.36). Patients with comorbid conditions were more likely to prefer healthcare affordability (RRR = 1.39; 1.15–1.68). In addition, patients who received health care from a public facility had 2.93 times higher preference for the availability of medical doctors (RRR = 2.93; 1.70–5.04) than the quality of treatment in the health facility, when compared with private service providers. Conclusions: Patient preferences for healthcare services in chronic disease management were significantly associated with the type of disease and its magnitude and characteristics of healthcare providers. Therefore, to enhance service provision and equitable distribution and uptake of health services, policymakers and public health practitioners should consider patient preferences in designing national strategic frameworks for chronic disease management. Patient or Public Contribution: Our research team includes four researchers (co‐authors) with chronic diseases who have experience of living or working with people suffering from chronic conditions or diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]