Physicians, pharmacists, and people with diabetes in India

Objective The present study was undertaken to elucidate the most frequently visited health care provider by the population attending a tertiary eye care hospital in South India. Methods A trained observer administered the questionnaire to 150 literate subjects aged above 30 years. Data collection included factors such as age, gender, single-index socioeconomic status (monthly income), presence of diabetes, and the name of the health care provider, including the number of times he or she was visited in the last 1 and 6 months. Results A total of 122 individuals (including persons with or without diabetes) responded to the questionnaire. Pharmacists were the most frequently visited health care providers; a pharmacist was visited nearly every month by a person with diabetes and about once in 2 months by a person without diabetes. Conclusion This study revealed that the most frequently visited health care providers by the population with diabetes were pharmacists.