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The truth is that most people are not aware of the importance of always knowing diabetes guidelines and most will just focus on them when they are diagnosed with this condition. Unfortunately, if we were to know about the specific diabetes guidelines, we could have been better prepared. We are dea

The truth is that the diet for diabetes is the most important part of the treatment that is needed for type 2 diabetes. We have to say this due to the fact that if you do not control what you are eating, you might actually die. In addition, for most people there will also be a need to exercise and t

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued an alert to update healthcare professionals on the shortage of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), which are used to treat type 2 diabetes. It has informed that the supply of the drugs continues to be limited, and is not expected to return to normal until at least the end of 2024. An increase in demand for these products for licensed and off-label indications is cited as the cause of the supply issues. "Rybelsus® (semaglutide) tablets are now available in sufficient quantities to support initiation of GLP1 RA treatment in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in whom new initiation of GLP-1 RA therapy would be clinically appropriate," the DHSC's National Patient Safety Alert reads.

There is no doubt that the pandemic has changed the way healthcare professionals work within the primary care setting. The advent of Covid-19 meant that we all had to rapidly modify the way we supported and met the needs of patients, some of whom saw the services they usually took for granted, virtually cease overnight. There are around 15 million people in England living with long-term health conditions including asthma. These people have the greatest healthcare needs of the whole population with 50 per cent of all GP appointments and 70 per cent of all bed days taken by this cohort of patients, and their treatment and care absorbing 70 per cent of acute and primary care budgets in England. This situation isn't going to improve any time soon. In the past, most people had a single condition, today multi-morbidity is becoming the norm. At the start of the pandemic, the Royal College of General Practice and British Medical Association issued guidance to practices on prioritising workload. This included the importance of maintaining long-term condition reviews in asthma, COPD and diabetes, along with appropriate transition of at-risk warfarin patients. These reviews were deemed as essential workstreams for patients considered to be at high risk. Traditionally, the unique skills set of a pharmacist has meant that we have played a major role in supporting these patients. I work with a team of over 90 clinical pharmacists who, in partnership with individual practices, PCNs, CCGs and STPs, help with the long-term management of people with chronic conditions. But the onset of Covid-19 meant that we now had to plug a potential gap in service provision, and quickly.

There are several aspects that must be taken into account. There are instances where two different kinds of medicines lead to side effects, hence you must see how you are managing your medication. Let us have a look at some of the best methods to ascertain proper medication management: LEARN ABOUT MOST COMMON MEDICATION MISTAKES This is one of the first things that one should know about simply because when you know what can lead to mistakes, you do not make mistakes. Some of the mistakes that most patients make may be in the form of taking too much medication, mixing up home remedies with prescribed drugs, and non-adherence to medical requirements. Evidence suggests that such mistakes lead to the ineffectiveness of medication, side effects, and overdose. USE ORGANIZATION TOOLS It may get very difficult to keep a track of the time and number of pills you need every day. It is especially true for elderly people who have a need for polypharmacy which is the use of five or more medications on a daily basis. Organization tools such as pill-box, alarm watch, and water bottle can be really helpful. For example, a pill-box can be used to keep your medicines safely and separately as per their categories such as medicines for diabetes in one part and medicines for pain in the other. This would help you easily manage your medication routine without a miss.

The summaries are based on comparative effectiveness reviews that cover numerous health topics. The summaries are not clinical recommendations or guidelines and should not be interpreted as such.