What is the role of a pharmacist in diabetes healthcare?
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Stacy Wiegman answered:A pharmacist can play an important role for people with diabetes, for instance by helping them choose and learn to use blood sugar monitoring devices and other diabetes supplies.
A pharmacist can also be an ongoing resource for questions about diabetes medications and potential side effects, interactions with other drugs and supplements, and other medicine-related issues.
Some pharmacists go through training to become certified diabetes educators and are able to counsel people on a wide range of diabetes issues. A pharmacist may also be the first health-care expert to spot certain complications in people with diabetes and may be able to refer them to their primary-care doctor or a specialist, such as a podiatrist for foot problems or an eye doctor for vision problems.
Pharmacists may also be able to spot people at increased risk for diabetes and inform them about programs in the community that could help them prevent the onset of the disease.A pharmacist can play an important role for people with diabetes, for instance by helping them choose and learn to use blood sugar monitoring devices and other diabetes supplies. A pharmacist can also be an ongoing resource for questions about... More -
American Diabetes Association answered:A pharmacist has a wealth of information on medicines: what’s in them and how they interact with each other. Pharmacists are highly trained professionals who must know about the chemistry of products they dispense and what effects, both good and bad, medications have on the body. Therefore, they can also give advice on whether and how any medication you take for your diabetes or other conditions could or will affect your blood glucose levels.
It is important to find a pharmacy you like dealing with and stick with it. This way, the pharmacist can keep an accurate and up-to-date profile of your medical history, allergies, and medications. Pharmacists do more for you than fill your prescriptions.
They alert you to the potential common or severe side effects of any drug you are going to take. And, with each new prescription, they can review your medication profile to see if any of your current medications might interact with your new prescription. For example, if your pharmacist knows you take a certain kind of sulfonylurea, he or she may recommend a cold medicine with little or no alcohol to avoid any possible interaction between the two medications. So, in addition to asking your diabetes care provider, you can ask your pharmacist to recommend over-the-counter medicines for colds or other minor illnesses.A pharmacist has a wealth of information on medicines: what’s in them and how they interact with each other. Pharmacists are highly trained professionals who must know about the chemistry of products they dispense and what effects, both good... More
