Lilly Diabetes and Walgreens launch diabetes hypoglycemia awareness campaign

Lilly Diabetes and Walgreens are educating people living with diabetes about one of the most common and misunderstood consequences of diabetes: hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). The companies today launched an awareness campaign at 43 Walgreens pharmacies throughout the Indianapolis area. Lilly Diabetes will provide take-home educational materials about hypoglycemia that pharmacists may use when counseling people with diabetes.

Hypoglycemia occurs when people experience an abnormally low level of blood sugar, which is the body’s main energy source.[1] Symptoms may include shaking, sweating, tiredness, hunger, increased heart rate, confusion, blurred vision and / or headaches. It’s important to recognize and treat hypoglycemia, as it can get worse and people can lose consciousness. [2]

“At Lilly Diabetes, we understand that managing diabetes extends beyond medicines to tools and resources that provide real, personalized solutions to improve the quality of everyday life, which is why we’re excited to collaborate with Walgreens to tackle the important and sometimes overlooked issue of hypoglycemia,” said Steve Sugino, vice president of Lilly Diabetes. “This initiative will not only provide needed education, but will also ultimately help facilitate better discussions between pharmacists and people with diabetes that can lead to improved disease management.”

The Lilly Diabetes-Walgreens approach is designed to complement the care and guidance people with diabetes receive from their health care providers. The campaign will be launched in 43 Walgreens stores in the Indianapolis area and showcase Walgreens’ new approach to community pharmacy that includes making pharmacists more accessible for patient consultations. Based on customer feedback over the next six months, the companies will explore expanding the campaign in additional cities.

“Walgreens, with our dedicated and highly professional pharmacists, is continually looking for ways to enhance our services to best meet the needs of our customers, particularly when it comes to their health needs,” says Walgreens Indianapolis market pharmacy director Marcel Naddaf. “With the high incidence of diabetes and its potential complications, we’re pleased to collaborate with Lilly Diabetes to provide valuable information to our customers with diabetes to help them better manage their condition.”

 References

1. Mayo Clinic, “Hypoglycemia.” http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypoglycemia/DS00198. Accessed on 12/12/11.
2. American Diabetes Association. “Living with Diabetes.” http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html. Accessed on 11/15/11.