Volume 28, Issue 151, Septemper 2024

Diabetic patients’ adequacy of knowledge related to insulin injecting techniques and practices. A cross-sectional study from Punjab, Pakistan

Amna Bajwa¹, Sara Shahid², Minahil Athar³, Anosh Sana¹, Iqra Abid⁴, Shaikh Muhammad Usama Latif⁵, Muhammad Fahad⁶, Maryam Mughal⁶, Maryam Ayesha⁶, Fahad Ahmed⁷, Muhammad Zahid Iqbal^2♦

¹Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
²Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
³Department of Applied Psychology, Gove rnment College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
⁴Department of Pharmacology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
⁵M.phil. (Pharmacy Practice) Scholar, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
⁶Research Student, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
⁷Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan

^♦Corresponding Author
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Background: Insulin therapy is considered a vital approach for the therapeutic management of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Various insulin administration devices are available worldwide, among which selfadministration devices are most commonly used. Objective: The present study evaluates the influence of a pharmacist-conducted educational intervention on the adequacy of knowledge related to insulin injecting techniques and practices among diabetic patients and its effect on their glycemic control. Methods: The current cross-sectional study recruited diabetic patients from Punjab, Pakistan. Blood glucose levels as fasting blood glucose (FBG) were recorded during the baseline survey. The knowledge and practices of insulin injection techniques were accessed through the “Injection Technique Questionnaire”. Pharmacists provided educational intervention to patients regarding self-administration techniques of insulin. Post-intervention evaluation was conducted with a gap of 3 months. Results: Among 177 adult diabetic patients, the majority of the patients were not presenting adequate injecting techniques and practices at baseline. However, as a result of educational intervention, the injection administration practices presented statistically significant improvement (p<0.05) as presented through Stuart-Maxwell testing. There was a significant difference p<0.05 on the scores of pre FBG (M=195.34, SD=47.32) and post FBG (M=175.16, SD=33.67); t (176) =9.95 among diabetic patients. Conclusion: Pharmacist-led educational intervention substantially improved the knowledge and practices of the patient’s injection technique.

Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus; Educational intervention; Insulin therapy; Insulin Injecting techniques; Injection Technique Questionnaire; Fasting blood glucose (FBG).

Medical Science, 2024, 28, e129ms3434

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v28i151.e129ms3434

Published: 29 September 2024