Type 2 Diabetes Supplies - Nov.
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[MUSIC PLAYING]
So when patients come in and they say they've been recently diagnosed, my first thing I always say is, take a deep breath. It's going to be OK. And you can grab this wheel, and I'm going to be here to champion you along the way.
So if you can imagine just being diagnosed with it, it can be overwhelming. Then all the things that come with it are also overwhelming. So the main things are glucometers, test strips, lancing devices, lancets, alcohol swabs, and then syringes if you're on insulin. Pen needles are very important if a patient is put on the insulin pen.
And then the other part of all of this is what happens if they go into a hypoglycemic state. So we always stock glucose tablets. We educate about what to do with those glucose tablets.
And then I have a big bin of Smarties because one strip of Smarties will help get somebody's blood sugar back. So I always give them a handful and say be smart. Don't leave home without these so it's really easy to remember. And then another thing that I have are mirrors because patients need to remember that they should be checking their feet, and for some people that is really awkward to get down there. So just little things to help them get through some of those steps of overcoming the barriers with having diabetes.
Patients get diagnosed and then they have this list that they bring into the pharmacy. And they just pick it up on their own, and then they walk out the door and they don't even know what to do with any of it. I pray they ask somebody to help them so that we can have that conversation. So once they do come in, we have a consult room that we sit down, and we literally open everything up and use it with them and make sure that the patient understands how to use it, that they understand their blood sugar goals, and they understand what to do next.
JENNIFER SHANNON
I think pharmacists have a huge role in helping to manage type 2 diabetes. Our physician colleagues are so crucial in diagnosing and treating it, but pharmacists are so uniquely positioned to help manage it once the patient leaves the doctor's office. So when patients come in and they say they've been recently diagnosed, my first thing I always say is, take a deep breath. It's going to be OK. And you can grab this wheel, and I'm going to be here to champion you along the way.
So if you can imagine just being diagnosed with it, it can be overwhelming. Then all the things that come with it are also overwhelming. So the main things are glucometers, test strips, lancing devices, lancets, alcohol swabs, and then syringes if you're on insulin. Pen needles are very important if a patient is put on the insulin pen.
And then the other part of all of this is what happens if they go into a hypoglycemic state. So we always stock glucose tablets. We educate about what to do with those glucose tablets.
And then I have a big bin of Smarties because one strip of Smarties will help get somebody's blood sugar back. So I always give them a handful and say be smart. Don't leave home without these so it's really easy to remember. And then another thing that I have are mirrors because patients need to remember that they should be checking their feet, and for some people that is really awkward to get down there. So just little things to help them get through some of those steps of overcoming the barriers with having diabetes.
Patients get diagnosed and then they have this list that they bring into the pharmacy. And they just pick it up on their own, and then they walk out the door and they don't even know what to do with any of it. I pray they ask somebody to help them so that we can have that conversation. So once they do come in, we have a consult room that we sit down, and we literally open everything up and use it with them and make sure that the patient understands how to use it, that they understand their blood sugar goals, and they understand what to do next.
