Digital pharmacist-physician care improves HbA1c in type 2 diabetes
Key Takeaway:
A 12-month cluster trial in 574 adults with type 2 diabetes found that digital pharmacist-physician care improved HbA1c, cardiovascular risk, waist measures, and satisfaction compared with usual physician care.
Study at a Glance
What was studied
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care for type 2 diabetes management
Study Type
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
duration
Medium-Term (3–12 mo)
Intervention
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care
Outcomes
HbA1c, 10-year ASCVD risk, Fasting glucose, Postprandial glucose, Waist circumference, Waist-to-hip ratio, Systolic blood pressure, Diastolic blood pressure, Triglycerides, Total cholesterol, Treatment satisfaction, Total diabetes-related cost
Funding
Non-Industry Sponsored
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Main Effects
↓ HbA1c improved more with digital physician-pharmacist care than usual care (−2.57% vs −1.96%)
↓ 10-year ASCVD risk decreased compared with usual care (adjusted β −1.206)
↑ Treatment satisfaction was higher in the intervention group after 12 months
Evidence Summary
| Intervention | Outcome | Measured Change | Study Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
 Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) |  10-year ASCVD risk (Metabolic Health) | Decrease | Strong |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) | Diastolic blood pressure (Metabolic Health) | Decrease | Mixed |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) |  HbA1c (Glycemic Control) | Decrease | Strong |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) | Systolic blood pressure (Metabolic Health) | Decrease | Mixed |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) | Total cholesterol (Metabolic Health) | Decrease | Mixed |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) |  Total diabetes-related cost (Patient-Reported) | Decrease | Mixed |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) | Treatment satisfaction (Patient-Reported) | Increase | Strong |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) | Triglycerides (Metabolic Health) | Decrease | Mixed |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) |  Waist circumference (Weight & Anthropometrics) | Decrease | Strong |
Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care (Behavioral & Lifestyle) | Waist-to-hip ratio (Weight & Anthropometrics) | Decrease | Mixed |
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Evidence Suggest
- A structured pharmacist-physician model can improve HbA1c in primary care adults with type 2 diabetes
- Remote education and in-person pharmacist visits may support broader cardiometabolic improvements
- The model may reduce total diabetes-related costs, mainly through lower hospitalization costs
Who this applies to
Adults with type 2 diabetes and HbA1c above 7.5%
Keep in Mind
This was a cluster trial, so results depend partly on clinic-level implementation
Between the Lines
- Participants and clinicians could not be blinded to the intervention
- Only six primary care centers were randomized, which limits cluster-level precision
- COVID-19 may have affected care-seeking behavior during the trial
- Some secondary outcomes may have been underpowered
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Journal Reference
Xiao J, Wang Q, Tan S, et al. Effect of a Digital-Driven Physician-Pharmacist Collaborative Model for Diabetes in Primary Health Care: Cluster Randomized Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2026;28:e77470. doi:10.2196/77470
Connected Evidence
Discover how this study fits into the broader diabetes evidence landscape.
This study contributes to evidence on Digital Health Programs and Cardiovascular Outcomes, Digital Health Programs and Glycemic Control.
Related evidence relationships
Explore in Evidence ArchiveThis study contributes to the evidence on the following intervention–outcome relationships.
Included in these evidence collections
Curated evidence collections and hubs this study is part of.
Cardiovascular Outcomes Evidence Hub
All studies measuring Cardiovascular Outcomes
Measures Cardiovascular Outcomes as a key outcome.
Digital Health Programs Evidence Hub
All studies on Digital Health Programs
Contributes to Digital Health Programs evidence base.
Glycemic Control Evidence Hub
All studies measuring Glycemic Control
Measures Glycemic Control as a key outcome.
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All studies measuring 10-year ASCVD risk
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Questions this evidence helps answer
Key clinical and research questions this study contributes to.
Does digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care improve 10-year ASCVD risk?
Based on connected evidence for Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care and 10-year ASCVD risk.
Does digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care affect HbA1c in people with diabetes?
Exploring evidence on Digital physician-pharmacist collaborative care and HbA1c outcomes.
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