Process evaluation of the INTENSE study aimed at improving adherence to oral diabetes and/or hypertension medication in people with type 2 diabetes

A pharmacist-led personalized adherence intervention for people with type 2 diabetes showed high fidelity and dose in 68 participants, but low reach prevented normalization in daily care.

• Why it matters: Even when adherence programs are well delivered, low uptake can block real-world implementation, leaving uncertainty about whether pharmacist-led medication adherence support can be adopted in routine practice.
• What they did: A multi-method process evaluation ran alongside a six-month parallel-group RCT in 26 community pharmacies in the Netherlands and the UK, using descriptive quantitative analyses plus interviews and audio-recorded consultations scored with OPTION-12 and checklists.
• The result: Participants were overall satisfied with modules like clinical medication review and dispensing, but reach was low because only 68 of 300 intended participants were recruited and selection changes did not improve it; capability and capacity were moderate, so the program cannot be implemented as-is.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.