Letter From The Editor

Hypoglycemia is always on every medical professional’s mind when they think about using insulin. It doesn’t really matter if the patient has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or is well-controlled or out of control. As long as they are on insulin there is the risk of hypoglycemia. This week’ …

Last week CMS finally issued guidelines temporarily increasing primary-care physician payments from Medicaid. The new Medicaid Rule (click here for the complete PDF) which implements a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, details the extent and target of the increase, which takes effect in January and lasts through …

Years ago, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe starred in the movie, "Some Like It Hot," and it was an instant hit for the three of them. However, when it comes to insulin, hot is never a good thing and this week’s Disaster Averted looks at what happens when …

As part of our education program for diabetes patients we encourage them to do multiple small things which can promote weight loss and healthier living. A couple of examples we’ve given here include adding protein to breakfast, and beans or lentils to each meal which helps patients feel fuller and …

Over the past few weeks we have been sharing excerpts from Diabetic Emergencies: Diagnosis and Clinical Management on how to manage diabetic ketoacidosis in adults, and you have made this series one of the most read ever.  This week we are excited to bring you a fifth Clinical Text excerpt …

I have spent the past 10 weeks criss-crossing the country talking to pharmacy groups about the value pharmacists add to the care of hypertension through MTM (medication therapy management). Many Part D providers have established their own telephonic MTM departments and these pharmacists work with patients on an individual basis. Last …

Timing is everything and without a doubt this is true when it comes to eating, obesity and weight loss. This week’s Clinical Text from JOSLIN’S DIABETES DESKBOOK – A Guide for Primary Care Providers gives us some clues as to why and when your patients eat can affect their diabetes …

Years ago, just out of pharmacy school, I worked in a nursing home pharmacy where we supplied the oral and IV medications for several facilities. When we could not get an IV started in a patient we used a drug called hyaluronidase to increase absorption of the drug: then we …

The complication of the week seems to be rhinocerebral mucormycosis. If you are not familiar with this infection then check out this week’s Homerun Slides, which include a section on rhinocerebral mucormycosis, what it looks like and where it comes from. Then take a look at the Clinical Text excerpt from Diabetic Emergencies: …

The EASD meeting was chock full of news about the latest drugs and new classes of medications. In one important update, you’ll hear how soon you could be giving your patients a single shot to control their diabetes for a whole year. As you read through this week’s amazing list …