Your patients are important to you as a pharmacist. You want to make sure their healthcare needs are taken care of. Your diabetic patients have many needs, which means catering to their disease can bring in additional revenue. Very few conditions are more profitable than diabetes, and that’s because of the nature of the disease.
Diabetes patients visit the pharmacy more than others. They fill more prescriptions, and they have more comorbidities that go hand in hand. That’s why tailoring your pharmacy to address the numerous health issues associated with diabetes isn’t a one-time gain. Patients are tethered to their pharmacy because of their increased need for preventative and maintenance-based solutions. They also rely on your recommendations as a pharmacist. So, focusing on those with diabetes enables you to help your patients and boost your revenue at the same time.
EDUCATE THEM
Patients get overwhelmed when looking around at the numerous products that are important to all aspects of diabetic care. They simply don’t know where to start.
As their pharmacist, your job is to educate them. Help them understand there’s more than just blood glucose testing. There are a multitude of products they need to know about. Diabetes is an invasive condition because it affects your skin, your eyes, and it affects how you eat. Addressing these problems requires the right products.
Without your guidance, patients might select less effective products. If they reuse a lancet or syringe, they’re increasing their risk of infection. And if they eat candy instead of fast-acting glucose products like tablets, gels, or shots to raise blood sugar during a hypoglycemic event, they can enter a state of hyperglycemia.
BE THEIR DIABETES DESTINATION
If you want to be their go-to diabetes expert, provide all diabetes-related products in one central area in your pharmacy. Your patients want one place where they can find exactly what they need. A simple section of the store that carries everything, along with an education component to it, is vital. They don’t want to walk down a maze of aisles to get what they want.
It’s important to note that there are many conditions rooted in diabetes, such as skin irritations, neuropathy, eye problems, digestive issues, and more. Make sure your diabetes front-end section clearly defines what each individual product is and why patients need it. You might also consider placing educational signage or brochures near related diabetic products. Do this for both blood glucose meters and fast-acting glucose products, lancets, skin care, and foot care. In addition to placing items related to
diabetes care together, highlight products throughout the store. For example, mark every sugar-free product with a gold star, making it easy for diabetic patients to navigate your store.
CONDUCT MEDICATION REVIEWS
One of the most overwhelming and emotionally taxing parts of living with diabetes is managing multiple medications. You can help ease your patients’ burden by reviewing their medications with them.
Discuss any medication interactions, inform them about possible side effects, and help them plan their medications. And, be sure to let patients know you offer medication reviews.
How to inform your patients of medication reviews:
- Slip a brochure in prescription bags for insulin
- Put up a sign near the pharmacy counter
- Tell patients about the service when they pick up
their prescriptions
OFFER EDUCATION CLASSES
Offer diabetes education classes in your pharmacy to help your patients better understand their condition and manage it. Here are some possible education programs to offer:
- Food tour: Take your patients on a tour through a local grocery store. Hire a diabetes educator or nutritionist who can explain how to read food labels.
- Healthy-eating classes: Have a local nutritionist host a class to provide helpful ideas and tips on eating well.
- Senior center days: Hold a simple diabetes education class at your town’s senior center. This makes it much easier for older patients to learn about the disease.
- National Diabetes Education Program: This program provides patient education materials and tools to help healthcare professionals better care for patients with diabetes or who may be at risk for it.
PROMOTE MOBILE MANAGEMENT
The use of smartphone apps, email, and texting can help diabetes patients better manage their condition. And because people are always on their smartphones, they will see a reminder within a reasonable time.
Your reminders will help them stay on track with their medication and blood sugar testing. It’s also a good idea to point out a few good mobile apps that are built to help them manage their diabetes. Here are some you can recommend:
- MySugr
- fit
- WeCare Diabetes
- One Drop
- Glooko
Remember, while your front-end diabetes section can help your patients find products that are ideal for them, they need your expertise to make sense of it all. Ask them about their needs and help them find the right products to make their days easier.
Diabetic Products to Consider Offering
Having a diabetes section in your pharmacy is a start, but you can take it a step further. Explain to patients why they need supplementary products beyond meters and test strips. This will maximize your diabetic product sales. Here are five additional items to stock:
Lancets: Diabetics need a new lancet for every test they take to reduce the risk of infection and pain. Be sure to have a healthy supply at all times.
Supplements: A daily fiber supplement is important because it adds nutritional support and slows the uptake of sugar into the bloodstream.
Skincare products: A daily deep-moisturizing skincare regimen is vital to avoid nerve shrinkage. Diabetes can shrink the nerves in the periphery resulting in the inability to sweat properly. This leads to dry or cracked skin that can cause infections and other complications. A daily lotion regimen gets patients in the habit of checking their skin for wounds.
Glucose products: Your pharmacy will also need fast-acting glucose tablets, gel, or a shot containing a pre-measured amount of a fast-acting carbohydrate. This raises blood sugar during a hypoglycemic event without causing a blood sugar spike.
It’s also a good idea to provide glucose testing. You can’t test them every day, but you can help make sure they understand how to properly test their blood sugar levels. You can also check to make sure they’re keeping up with it. This will give them confidence and peace of mind.
Syringes: Don’t forget to stock a silicone-coated syringe in your diabetic-care area. Be sure there are no surface imperfections, and it has various gauges and lengths. A quality syringe ensures a comfortable patient experience. The proper length is also vital for injecting insulin correctly.
From the Magazine
This article was published in our quarterly print magazine, which covers relevant topics in greater depth featuring leading experts in the industry. Subscribe to receive the quarterly print issue in your mailbox. All registered independent pharmacies in the U.S. are eligible to receive a free subscription.
More articles from the March 2024 issue:
- Common Accounting Errors
- When Disaster Strikes
- Catering to Family Caregivers
- The Silent and Deadly Cholesterol
- A New Year, a New Mindset
- Spring Clean Your Front End
- Find Your Niche
- Diabetic Sales
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