I visited a housebound patient who had uncontrolled blood glucose, in spite of her physician having increased her insulin dose over a period of two weeks to twice her previous dose.  The physician requested that I ask in depth about any factors that might be causing her to need so much more insulin.

I recently started working with a 58 y/o gentleman who had insulin dependent type 2 diabetes. He was 110 pounds overweight, and was using 120 units of Lantus and 30 units of Humalog daily. His most recent A1c was 8.6. The program he was placed on involved drinking a medical liquid food supplement 5 times a day which contains 12 grams of carbs per serving plus a meal that consisted of a small amount of protein and vegetables.

A VA Pharmacist received an order for 40 units of U-500 insulin and questioned its validity. The actual dose desired by the physician was 200 units. The physician indicated the 40 units reflected the mark on a U 100 syringe to which the patient was to draw back the plunger.  This was found to be a common practice so the VA developed a system requirement which required physicians to indicate the total units/mls (Example: 200 units/.4ml) for U 500. Insulin must be in the chart and syringes calibrated in mls must be used.

I had the pleasure of working with an elderly gentleman who was living alone. When he switched from insulin pens to a vial and syringe due to his insurance, his numbers started to increase into the 400’s and 500’s. He was feeling weak and lethargic but fortunately was able to pull …

A physician asked me to see his patient, a middle-aged woman who was using an insulin pen.  She had extensive bruising at her injection sites, with no simple explanation.  She was not taking any medications associated with increased bleeding, and did not bruise easily otherwise. The physician wondered if there was something else about her injection technique that produced the bruising.

I am a retail pharmacist working in a busy chain pharmacy.  A patient came in and requested a temporary supply of his Crestor 40 mg tablets because he had run out of tablets before he was eligible for a refill through insurance.  I checked his profile and noticed that it had been 1 1/2 months since his last 90 day refill so I asked why he had run out.  He said that his doctor had told him to double up and take 80 mg daily.  This didn't sound correct, but it was after office hours and the patient was adamant that these were his doctor's instructions and that he would have to stop his medication if I didn't dispense to him. 

New type 2 drug can be used as monotherapy.

This GLP-1 Agonist Medications Chart outlines the latest GLP-1 medications approved by the FDA for diabetes treatment and the differences and similarities between them. Print out this chart and post in your office as a handy reference for your staff and patients alike. The chart is in PDF format. Use this link to download: GLP-1 Agonist Medications Chart

While there are a number of factors that can negatively impact adherence to self-care in a person with diabetes, this article will focus on diabetes and alcohol: specifically, on how alcohol consumption limits this adherence and affects the overall health of people with diabetes.

There have been many studies that have been conducted meant to access the effect of alcohol consumption on diabetes - some suggesting that a moderate intake contributes to the risk for diabetes, and others suggesting moderate alcohol is a protective for type 2 diabetes.