OBJECTIVES: A pharmacy-based inpatient diabetes management program was evaluated to determine if improved glycemic control could be achieved in a general medicine patient population. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 151 patients with blood glucose (BG) values outside the range 70-180 mg/dL was conducted.  Observations for the baseline group (n=84) were derived from July 2010 and for the intervention group (n=67 ) in October 2010.  The odds of poor glycemic control for patients in the intervention versus baseline groups were assessed by multivariate generalized estimating equations.  These methods were also used to assess patient characteristics associated with poor glycemic control.  RESULTS: Across all patients, no evidence was observed indicating the pharmacy program decreased the proportion of days spent out of  the targeted blood glucose range [70-180 mg/dL: OR 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83 – 1.02); 70-250 mg/dL: OR 1.03 (95% CI: 0.88 – 1.24)].  However, the subgroup of patients whose admission blood glucose was less than 200 mg/dL (55% of intervention group) experienced a significant reduction in days out of range for both ranges [70-180 mg/dL (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.61– 0.88) and 70-250 mg/dL (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.33 – 0.71)].  No improvement in glycemic control was observed in patients with an admission BG 200 mg/dL or greater.  These patients had more disease- and social-related factors associated with poor glycemic control.  CONCLUSIONS: A subpopulation, patients whose admission glucose was less than 200 mg/dL, experienced improvement in glycemic control in the pharmacy-based program. The remaining patients were generally more complicated from a disease-state and social perspective and experienced no improvement.  These patients may require a more intense, multi-disciplinary approach that is better matched to the constellation of factors responsible for their condition.