Validation of a Pharmacist-Led Semaglutide Prescribing Algorithm for Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease: Research Letter

Diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease, yet gaps in the use of guideline-directed therapies persist in primary care. In 2025, our group developed and validated community pharmacist-led prescribing algorithms for individuals with an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m ² , targeting angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. To address the evolving therapeutic landscape, we developed and validated a semaglutide-specific algorithm to complement this approach. Algorithm development and validation followed Lynn’s method. A two-part questionnaire per algorithm item assessed content and face validity, with nephrology clinicians (nephrologists and kidney pharmacists) and community pharmacists rating items using Likert scales. Content validity was measured using item-level (I-CVI) and scale-level (S-CVI/Ave) indices, while face validity was assessed by level of agreement to five statements per round. The algorithm was iteratively revised between rounds. Ten nephrology clinicians (five per round for three rounds) and 12 community pharmacists (six per round for two rounds) participated. For clinicians, the I-CVI ranged from 0.6 to 1.0, with an overall S-CVI/Ave of 0.89 across three rounds. Among pharmacists, all items met the prespecified content validity threshold for both rounds (I-CVI ≥0.83; P < 0.05). Face validity exceeded the 70% consensus threshold for both validator groups. This study adds a validated semaglutide-specific algorithm to our existing pharmacist-led care model, expanding a suite of algorithms to support uptake of disease-modifying therapies for individuals with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease in primary care. Implementation and evaluation in Nova Scotia community pharmacy clinics are underway.