Guest Column

12/9/2021

The future of diabetes care: Partnering with pharmacies to address the critical needs of people with diabetes

Roche Diabetes Care’s senior vice president and general manager lists ways the company works with pharmacies to support diabetes patients when and where they need it.

By Matt Jewett, Roche Diabetes Care

Diabetes never quits. Every day, people with this chronic condition test their blood glucose, eat nutritious meals, move, maybe take medication and generally know enough about their bodies to take the necessary steps to maintain control. To achieve all this, they require access to information, supplies and someone on the other side of the counter, desk, phone or computer.

Increasingly, many of these needs can be addressed at the local pharmacy. Indeed, pharmacists and the pharmacy were especially in the spotlight delivering effective care to people with diabetes during COVID-19. Additionally, long overdue attention to health disparities (more information here: accu-chek.com/access) point to the retail pharmacy as a key part of the solution.

"Working as a team, Roche Diabetes Care and retail pharmacy can achieve the most important goal of meeting people with diabetes where they are and where they want to get support, whether in store, online and with or without a prescription."

We recognize that pharmacy teams have a significant opportunity to introduce innovative services and offerings to customers with diabetes and help the stores manage the opportunity to be the front line for the growing number of people with the condition. In the United States, 32.4 million people have diabetes, about 11% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We believe collaboration offers both solutions and opportunities.

Here are some ways we are partnering with pharmacies to address critical needs for people with diabetes:

Make diabetes management affordable: Savings initiatives, including managed care coverage, low over-the-counter pricing, terminal programs and the Accu-Chek Prescription Discount program — available through the pharmacy — make it easier for people with diabetes to receive and realize savings on the supplies they need.
Increasing awareness of diabetes support available at the pharmacy: As more pharmacies improve their own digital capabilities, we help with know-how and advertising support that get these assets off the ground. Recently RDCI was able to support a retailer and its strategy partner in building a web page providing patient education, savings details and video feeds. In addition, we are currently in development with another retail partner to design a web page that provides education, details about the mySugr diabetes management app and cost-savings initiatives.
Providing access to coaching: Remote solutions, such as mySugr, give people with diabetes access to virtual care and coaching from home, at work, wherever they are. The mySugr PRO app is available for free when paired with selected Accu-Chek meters.
Support in-pharmacy health-and-wellness centers: Retail pharmacies are increasingly serving as trusted destinations for a range of healthcare services and education. Data from the “J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Pharmacy Study,” released Aug. 5, 2020, underscored how consumers like and appreciate this. We recognize the valuable role of in-pharmacy health-and-wellness centers and offer a range of diabetes support, including providing sample Accu-Chek meters so those newly diagnosed can touch and handle them, discount coupons for testing supplies, educational materials and information about access.
Support in the communities: Now that local health events are returning, we look forward to once again partnering with retail pharmacies to bring diabetes information directly to people who need it. We’re currently planning one program that includes coupon fliers with website links to directly send customers information about mySugr, as well as the discounts available at the front of the store.

Working as a team, Roche Diabetes Care and retail pharmacy can achieve the most important goal of meeting people with diabetes where they are and where they want to get support, whether in store, online and with or without a prescription. Through creative partnerships, we can provide access to support and information, help make diabetes care more affordable and enable personalized care that will help people with diabetes get better outcomes and live their lives.