How Can My Pharmacist Help Me Control My Diabetes?

Laura Patterson

Hale Center Clinical Pharmacy

Hale Center, Texas

November 1, 2022

Traditionally, people have viewed the pharmacy as simply a place to pick up medications and the pharmacist as the person who tells you a little about your medicine. But your pharmacist can do so much more to help you manage conditions like diabetes beyond simply refilling your medications. 

Troubleshooting medication problems

If you have side effects from one of your diabetes medications, this can affect your quality of life and your overall diabetes control. Discuss problematic side effects, or even things you are
not sure are side effects, with your pharmacist. Whether you have an upset stomach, urinary tract infections, dizziness, drowsiness, or something else, we can help you determine which medication might be the culprit and why. We can also help advocate for you with your primary care provider to make changes to your medication regimen that will alleviate these side effects.

Troubleshooting blood sugar

Your pharmacist can also help you troubleshoot issues with your blood sugar running too high or too low. Hopefully, you are familiar with your blood sugar goals; however, if you are not sure what your morning fasting blood sugar should be or what your post-meal blood sugar should be, we can help you with that. Many factors contribute to blood sugar numbers being off-target, from your diet to changes in physical activity to medication. Whatever the case, your pharmacist can help you get to the bottom of it.

Diabetes education

More and more pharmacists today are also trained as diabetes educators. If your pharmacist is a diabetes educator, they may be able to take your diabetes self-management to the next level with individualized training classes. 

The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent that of AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation. The content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or treat any health condition and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health professional.

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