Personal pharmacist coaches are being pitched as a new approach to caring for diabetes patients

Research from a pilot run by Counties Manukau Health during covid's confirmed 85-percent of participants saw their blood sugar levels reduce - with most sustaining the improvements months later.

Auckland University Senior Research fellow Dr Natalie Gauld says peoples' consistently high blood glucose levels suggested a solution beyond GP visits was needed - and follow ups from pharmacists proved an answer.

She says regular, brief, contact with pharmacists meant patients weren't getting overwhelmed with information and improved understanding.