In year three of the Heads Up on Diabetes campaign, Diabetes Australia is focusing on challenging diabetes-related stigma during National Diabetes Week which is running from 10-16 July.
Research conducted by the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD), found that four out of five people living with diabetes have experienced stigma at some point.
People living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes both reported feeling this way.
It can lead to people not sharing their diagnosis with others, getting the help and support they need, being interested to learn more about their diabetes or doing what they need to do each day to manage their diabetes and stay well.
This National Diabetes Week, the aim is to have a conversation about the real impact diabetes stigma can have on a person’s mental and emotional wellbeing.
There are many reasons someone might feel stigma. It can be because they feel misunderstood, judged, blamed or even made to feel guilty about their diabetes.
Mentally this can be a lot to deal with, and can impact how someone manages their diabetes. This can have a flow on effect to their physical and emotional health.
Community pharmacies are integral to helping people living with diabetes and some of the services provided include:
- Dispensing of prescriptions (obviously) – diabetes medicines, cholesterol medicines, blood pressure medicines and more
- Screening (random blood glucose) of people who might have diabetes
- Diabetes MedsChecks
- Lifestyle programs to support people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes (walking groups, dietary advice, weight loss advice, smoking cessation)
- Counselling of people who are newly diagnosed with diabetes – so they understand their medicines better
- Sale of blood glucose monitors for testing blood glucose – and training on how to use these machines
- Supply of needles, test strips and more through the National Diabetes Supply Scheme
- Some pharmacies may employ (and some pharmacists may be) diabetes educators
- Screening using HbA1C testing
- Referral for people with risk factors, signs and symptoms
- Education on prevention and management of diabetes complications (hypoglycaemia, importance of regular eye and foot checks)
You can find pharmacies providing diabetes services at findapharmacy.com.au
