Scientific Article Related to Public Health, Article Critique Example

An article by Kirwin, Cunninghan, and Sequist (2010) considers the importance of the pharmacist’s role in improving diabetes care quality. This is a national public health issue of critical importance; therefore, pharmacists must be able to actively contribute to the conversation regarding how to work with diabetes patients effectively to minimize symptoms and improve treatment quality (Kirwin et.al, 2010). Through the use of a randomized controlled trial, pharmacists provided recommendations regarding diabetes care in order to improve quality, and although the study indicated that this method did not provide any significant results, it is possible that in future studies, it could be explored further in order to determine how pharmacists are able to contribute to this conversation and to promote improvements in patient care quality for diabetics (Kirwin et.al, 2010).

Pharmacists must play an active role in supporting the needs of diabetes patients who require care and treatment, and this is best accomplished through an intervention that is aimed at education and knowledge to enable these patients to improve their quality of life through the provision of recommendations that may stimulate improvements in managing diabetes effectively. This is an important step in supporting and advancing patient care quality for diabetes patients who may experience reduced quality of life if they are unable to manage their symptoms effectively (Kirwin et.al, 2010). Therefore, these efforts must demonstrate a commitment to patients and to the larger public health issue of diabetes that impacts millions of people (Kirwin et.al, 2010). Pharmacists who dispense medications may also provide education that will encourage patients to be proactive in recognizing their symptoms, in discussing their symptoms with their physician, and in complying with physician orders and prescription guidelines in order to alleviate some of the symptoms that are likely to occur with these patients (Kirwin et.al, 2010).

Works Cited

Kirwin, Jennifer L., Rebecca J. Cunningham, and Thomas D. Sequist. “Pharmacist

recommendations to improve the quality of diabetes care: a randomized controlled trial.” J Manag Care Pharm 16.2 (2010): 104-13.