What can pharmacy teams do?

There is a lot that pharmacy teams can do to help patients with diabetes reduce their risk of complications:

• Support medication use by ensuring that patients have what they need, are not using previously discontinued medicines if their treatment has changed, and ensure they know they can ask pharmacy professionals about their medicines
• Urge patients to attend foot health and eye screening clinics, plus regular sight tests. Recognise that older teenagers are less likely to attend for eye screening and need encouragement
• Advise patients to check their feet daily for any changes
• Provide lifestyle advice – for example, on the need to stay active and eat healthily
• Put in place specific interventions such as support to stop smoking or lose weight
• Highlight relevant vaccinations, such as the seasonal flu jab, and pneumococcal and Covid-19 vaccines
• Encourage patients to have regular dental check-ups, as diabetes increases the risk of developing gum disease and similar problems.

More broadly, just a general “how are you doing?” can help tease out niggles. Some of these may be minor and easily resolvable – for example, how to plan normal daily activities such as eating and exercise around medication. Other issues may be regarded as insignificant by the patient when they actually indicate that medical attention is needed. This is also a way to check mental wellbeing; like other long-term conditions, diabetes is a risk factor for the development of illnesses such as anxiety and depression, and there may be other emotional or psychological issues involved too. 

Younger people in particular may experience needle phobia, fear of self-injecting or eating disorders, which can lead to poor glycaemic control, and increase the risk of complications developing. There may also be behavioural disorders, such as risk-taking or relationship difficulties, which may be impacting their quality of life and that of their caregivers.

Reflective exercise

• Think of a brief intervention that could be put in place to help you support patients with diabetes.