CVS/pharmacy Helps Patients Manage Diabetes Care

CVS/pharmacy, America's largest retail pharmacy, is educating patients about managing and preventing diabetes during American Diabetes Month in November. CVS is also offering money-saving specials during the month on products for patients with diabetes.

Nearly 24 million children and adults in the U.S. -- almost 8% of the population -- have diabetes and 5.7 million people may have the disease and not even know it. Last year, 1.6 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people ages 20 and older. Another 57 million people in the U.S. have pre-diabetes, a condition in which their blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

By working in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association, which is asking Americans during Diabetes Month, "Why Should You Care About Diabetes?" CVS/pharmacy has created a free educational resource booklet, Diabetes: Solutions for Life, which is available at all CVS/pharmacy locations nationwide. This comprehensive educational booklet provides patients with information on diabetes symptoms, risk factors, successful disease management and ways to prevent diabetes through healthy choices. The booklet also features over $100 in money-saving offers on over-the-counter products, meters and test strips, and healthy food items through the CVS ExtraCare program.

In addition, because patients with diabetes may take several medications at a time to treat their disease and any side effects of their therapy, pharmacists play a critical role in helping patients monitor and manage their diabetes.

"It is important for patients to know that their CVS pharmacist is a resource in the development of their diabetes treatment plan," said Papatya Tankut, RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Services at CVS/pharmacy. "Our pharmacists are always available to speak with their diabetes patients about over-the-counter medicines and other prescriptions they are taking, and to offer counseling on medication compliance, side effects and potential drug interactions."

During November's American Diabetes Month, more than 700 CVS/pharmacy stores will hold Meter Day events, which will offer blood glucose meter demonstrations, disease state management discussions, educational literature and free meter coupons.

CVS.com, CVS/pharmacy's online pharmacy, has also launched a diabetes awareness web site at http://www.cvs.com/diabetes. The site features excerpts from the Diabetes: Solutions for Life booklet, special product offers, links to the American Diabetes Association's MyFoodAdvisor web site and to CVS.com's Diabetes Self Care Center, and dates and locations for CVS/pharmacy's in-store Meter Days.

About CVS/pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation , is America's largest retail pharmacy with more than 6,800 retail locations. CVS/pharmacy is committed to improving the lives of those we serve by making innovative and high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at http://www.cvscaremark.com/.

  CONTACT:
  Mike DeAngelis
  CVS/pharmacy
  401-770-2645
  mjdeangelis@cvs.com

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SOURCE: CVS/pharmacy