GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer has launched a chainwide effort to position its pharmacy staff as diabetes specialists.

The announcement was made by Effie Steele, the chain's clinical services manager.

"A community pharmacist is an important first line of defense for diabetes and other diseases," Steele said. "So it was imperative that we placed more trained experts within our pharmacies for the benefit of our customers. Diabetes is a disease that has hit the Midwest hard, and there truly is an urgent need to take a much more active and aggressive role in combating it."

To aid the launch of the initiative, all 197 Meijer pharmacies will host a diabetes care event this Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event will include free blood -glucose testing, as well as a free pharmacy patient education and sample kit. Meijer diabetes care pharmacists also will be on hand to assist with questions and explain Meijer's free metformin prescription program.

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