NCPA and AADE to provide diabetes education training to community pharmacies

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) have launched a new diabetes self-management training program for community pharmacy. The program, “Diabetes Accreditation Standards-Practical Applications” (DASPA), will expand counseling options for patients, while offering community pharmacies a path to apply for compensation by Medicare and other insurers for diabetes management.

The DASPA program is designed to equip community pharmacists with the clinical components of providing diabetes education, the business aspects of program management, and the expertise to accredit a DSME/T program through AADE, a nationwide accreditation body that leads to billing eligibility.

Through the DASPA program, composed of online and live training, pharmacists will obtain 25 ACPE continuing pharmacy education contact hours. Upon completion of the program, pharmacists will have the skills necessary to implement a successful diabetes education program and pursue accreditation.

Diabetes impacts 23.6 million Americans (with 57 million Americans having pre-diabetes) at a cost of $174 billion, according to 2007 data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The NCPA-AADE partnership will allow community pharmacists to obtain the training to conduct intensive, comprehensive educational classes targeted to diabetes patients to ensure every measure is being incorporated to improve their health outcomes and, ultimately, lower costs.

The first live portion of the initiative will be introduced as pre-programming to the Missouri Pharmacy Association Annual Convention and Tradeshow, June 9-10, 2010, in Branson, Mo.

“The opportunity for community pharmacists who do not have the CDE credential to provide diabetes self-management education and be reimbursed for their time is a game-changer for pharmacists who want to help their patients, as well as diversify their revenue stream with classes and companion sales,” said William Popomaronis, RPh, vice president, Long-Term and Home Health Care Pharmacy Services, NCPA. “We expect that many of our members will seize this opportunity, because they know a better-educated diabetes patient can avoid the more debilitating, but preventable, aspects that come from the disease.”

More information is available at www.ncpanet.org.