Affiliation:
1. Diabetes Pharmacy Practice of Jodie J. Cardenas, R.Ph., Diabetes Clinical Services, L.L.C., Edmond, OK 73083-4086.
Abstract
Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease affecting an estimated 16 million Americans with total costs in excess of $92 billion a year. A changing healthcare market is creating demand for coordinated, standardized methods of optimizing both outcomes and resource utilization. Diabetes clinical care pathways (DCCPs) and diabetes patient-focused care plans (DPFCPs) are valuable management tools used to coordinate the delivery of clinically appropriate, cost-effective, interdisciplinary diabetes healthcare services. This article identifies the characteristics of DCCPs and DPFCPs, and describes the pharmacist's role in their development and use in clinical practice.