The RPS says pharmacy teams must be utilised for type 2 diabetes services to aid prevention and improve overall care

As cases of obesity and diabetes continue to increase in England, putting more pressure on the NHS, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has said that it wants to see pharmacists across all care settings support people with type 2 diabetes, increasing prevention and detection of the condition while improving their overall care. 

Utilising pharmacy

The RPS says that three in five cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed and pharmacy teams are vital in informing people of the risks of developing the disease before it is too late. This includes increasing awareness of the condition and helping to ensure early diagnosis for those at risk.

A national policy document endorsed by Diabetes UK – Using pharmacists to help improve care for people with type 2 diabetes – has been published by the RPS. The document includes recommendations on the ways pharmacists and their teams can be utilised to best support patients. 

This includes pharmacists working as part of the multidisciplinary team to play a greater role in prevention and detection services and have an active role in optimising medicines, improving health, wellbeing and safety.

Claire Anderson, chair of RPS in England, said the recommendations have the “potential to dramatically improve the health of patients” and “would create capacity and access in the system, and enable pharmacists to adopt a person-centred approach to diabetes care, which helps patients get the most benefit from their medicines”.

An important contribution

Gul Root, national lead pharmacy public health, Public Health England said: “Pharmacists and their teams in all sectors can make an important contribution in preventing the onset of diabetes and supporting better health for people who already have diabetes by providing healthy lifestyle advice, for example on stopping smoking, improving diet and nutrition, reducing alcohol consumption and increasing physical activity. Health champions in healthy living pharmacies could play a critical role in this important health improvement ambition”.