OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease and patients have higher objective healthcare needs compared to the general population. The healthcare supportive services help the good control of diabetes, avoiding or delaying the disease complications and assuring the patient’s adherence to the treatment. The objective of this study is to assess the patients reported needs of additional healthcare, psychological or family supportive care and the specific gaps in the healthcare management of the disease in Bulgaria. METHODS: A total of 245 adults diagnosed with DM type 1 and 2 were recruited and completed a self-report questionnaires at three hospitals - in the capital and in two main other cities. Of them 203 were complete and eligible for analysis. Unmet needs were assessed using 15-item questionnaire. The data were examined using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Unmet needs were most commonly reported in the aspects of healthcare services’ domains. The three most frequently endorsed items of “moderate to severe” unmet needs were: additional information about the disease from the endocrinologist (65.35%), structured information about the disease and its treatment given in the hospital from the doctor (68.81%) and needs of special foot care medical offices for patients with diabetic neuropathy (68.81%). Approximately 76% of the patients reported having unmet needs of more free test-strips for self-monitoring blood glucose, medicinal products and special healthcare services for diabetics. 73 patients (36.14%) reported high importance of the active participation of the pharmacist in community pharmacy in recognizing of probable and current drug related problems. 101 of the patients (50%) reported need of higher psychological support from their relatives for a better control of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: The responses of patients with both types of diabetes clearly show the need for new management approaches to alleviate the burden associated with the disease addressing the specific unmet needs of diabetic patients.