Research News
Access and Outcomes
Asias-Dinh Earns ACCP PRN Best Poster Award for Study on Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Underserved Population
Dec. 2 鈥� Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is widely recommended by organizations such as the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for its proven ability to help people with type 2 diabetes lower their A1c, a key measure of blood sugar control.
Despite its benefits, many underserved patients face barriers to accessing CGM, which is a system that uses a small sensor inserted under the skin to continuously track blood glucose levels throughout the day and night. Understanding what happens when patients lose access to CGM has become an increasingly important question for clinicians and researchers.
Clinical Associate Professor Bernadette Asias-Dinh, Pharm.D. ('11), BCPS, BCACP, CDCES, set out to answer that question 鈥� and earned national recognition in the process. Her project, "A1c outcomes after discontinuation of continuous glucose monitoring in an underserved population with type 2 diabetes," won Best Poster in the practitioner category for the Endocrine & Metabolism Practice Research Network, a subgroup of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). The poster was presented at the 2025 ACCP Annual Meeting Oct. 18-21 in Minneapolis, Minn.
The study builds on earlier work led by Clinical Assistant Professor Jodie Gee, Pharm.D. ('09), BCACP, CDCES, in which underserved patients who used CGM for three months in a pharmacist-led program 鈥� at no cost 鈥� saw nearly a 3% drop in their A1c. Because continued free access is difficult for clinics to maintain, Asias-Dinh examined what happened afterward.
Her team followed 34 adults with type 2 diabetes at a federally qualified health center. Fourteen patients (41%) continued using CGM while 20 discontinued the system. Both groups began with similar A1c levels.
Patients who stopped CGM saw their blood sugar control worsen quickly and continue to decline over the year. Their average A1c rose by about 1.3 percentage points early on and 2.6 points by the end of the year. In contrast, far more patients who continued CGM kept their A1c below 9%, a common quality measure for health care institutions and an ADA benchmark for safer control 鈥� 93% vs. 55% at early follow-up (3-6 months), and 77% vs. 25% at one year.
The findings suggest that uninterrupted CGM access may be essential for sustaining blood sugar improvements in underserved populations. Longer initial use, intermittent use, or ongoing pharmacist follow-up may help, but additional research is needed.
Co-authors included UHCOP Pharm.D. candidates Aya Hussein and Minoo Madi; Gee and fellow Clinical Assistant Professor Natalie Rosario, Pharm.D., MPH, BCACP; and Robert L. Boblitt Endowed Professor of Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research Chair Kevin Garey, Pharm.D., MS, FASHP, FIDSA, FCCP, BCIDP.
鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Kristin Marie Mitchener