Conclusion
DM is reaching epidemic proportions worldwide, and the contributions of medications to the development of hyperglycemia and other metabolic derangements is receiving more attention. Pharmacists are in a unique position to counsel and encourage appropriate self-monitoring in patients receiving certain drugs, such as antipsychotics, that can contribute to the development of weight gain, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Pharmacists can serve as a catalyst for patients receiving antipsychotics to communicate adverse events to other health care providers and seek therapeutic substitutions, counseling, and/or treatment if adverse events result from treatment. As a population, people with schizophrenia often have poor access to care and lower levels of psychosocial support; thus, the pharmacist's recognition and intervention in this population have the potential to improve quality of care.
Providers should be aware that the onset of DM can be rapid and severe in some patients, with case reports of life-threatening DKA reported, sometimes within weeks after starting antipsychotic treatment.[12,14] Rarely, such cases have occurred even with low-risk SGAs such as ziprasidone and aripiprazole, so that diligence in monitoring is warranted even with agents less likely to contribute to weight gain, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia