DSN, Becton Dickinson team up to help educate community pharmacies about injectable diabetes treatments
NEW YORK, N.Y. — In response to the ever-changing healthcare system needs and the needs of the growing number of people living with diabetes, Drug Store News has created educational resources for community pharmacists and technicians targeting injectable diabetes medications.
Two ACPE-accredited continuing education lessons have been developed in response to a continuing needs assessment process conducted by Drug Store News Continuing Education (DSNCE). The first lesson, developed specifically for pharmacists, “Advising patients on injectable diabetes therapies,” and the companion lesson, “A technician’s guide to injectable diabetes medications,” are available on the DSNCE education platform DrugstoreNewsCE.com. Pharmacists and technicians may complete these lessons at no charge, thanks to a sponsorship from BD.
“The need for these lessons was clear after reviewing national data, surveys from our members and the plans of our corporate community pharmacy leaders,” said Nancy Lyons, director CE and clinical content at DSN. “The national statistics concerning diabetes are overwhelming from both a patient quality-of-life perspective and the growing healthcare costs. What is even more alarming is that despite the availability of multiple diabetes treatment options, nearly half of patients living with diabetes aren’t achieving recommended clinical control, placing them at greater risk of complications associated with diabetes. Injectable diabetes therapies, including insulin and GLP-1RA agents present training challenges for the already busy primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, endocrinologists and other healthcare professionals caring for these patients. The last thing a prescriber wants to do is give a patient a therapy that is so complicated that the patient gives up, or puts the patient at a safety risk from inappropriate use. Many community pharmacies have already set up services for patient education, coaching and monitoring with pharmacists actively participating in the patient’s health-care team and demonstrating healthcare cost savings.”
The goal when developing these lessons was to create a resource for pharmacies already engaged in advanced patient education, for those pharmacies considering adding additional patient services and for pharmacists and technicians who simply want to be a knowledgeable resource for their patients.
“DSN has a long history in education and support of community pharmacy,” added Eric Savitch, publisher, Drug Store News Group. “In that time, we have seen the industry change dramatically and the profession of pharmacy step up time and time again to meet national healthcare needs. As many pharmacies focus on additional patient care services, DSN is committed to matching resources to help them achieve their goals. We were proud to welcome Becton Dickinson as a sponsor of these lessons to fulfill the needs.”