The role of pharmacists in the management of type 2 diabetes: A literature review

Diabetes is one of the primary causes of death and disability globally, affecting over 371 million people, which is said to rise to 552 million people by 2030 (International Diabetes Federation, 2012). Current estimates suggest that there are over 3 million people in England with diabetes, of whom roughly a quarter are undiagnosed (Holman et al, 2011). The prevalence of diabetes is higher in developed countries than in developing countries but as developing countries become more industrialised, the incidence of diabetes will also increase. In the UK, it is estimated that the cost of treating diabetes and its related complications is approximately £14 billion (around 85% of that being due to type 2 diabetes), accounting for around 10% of the total NHS expenditure for England and Wales (Kanavos et al, 2012). In 2012, around 4.8 million deaths resulted from the disease and its associated complications worldwide (International Diabetes Federation, 2012). Diabetes has been stated to be the underlying cause of 12% of all new cases of legal blindness, over one third of new cases of end-stage renal disease and approximately half of non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations. It has also been indicated that people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease or suffer a stoke (Powers, 2001).