New online magazine aims to educate pharmacists on diabetes

Diabetes Health magazine launchedDiabetes Health Pharmacist, a 24-page, bimonthly, online publication aimed at a readership of 25,000 U.S. licensed pharmacists. The magazine debuted in November.

Diabetes Health Pharmacist’s format is the same as 2 long-established print publications, Diabetes Health (for consumers) and Diabetes Health Professional (for healthcare professionals such as doctors and diabetes educators).

“Twenty-four million people have diabetes, and 58 million more have a predisposition to diabetes,” said Nadia Al-Samarrie, publisher and editor-in-chief. “Globally, type 2 diabetes is an epidemic. The healthcare system does not have enough professionals to treat the people who have diabetes now, let alone those who will be diagnosed in the coming years. As a result, pharmacists will become increasingly important in helping people with diabetes manage their disease.”

Al-Samarrie says she hopes that pharmacists, by reading Diabetes Health Pharmacist, will redefine their roles when working with customers who have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

“Pharmacists can make a difference by learning more about diabetes and providing more educational information to their customers (such as using blood glucose meters, urging them to get regular A1C tests and routine vision examinations, and educating them about low blood sugar),” Al-Samarrie said. “It is important that pharmacists educate themselves as much as possible about how they can better serve people with diabetes, both professionally and for customer retention.”