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What is Operation Diabetes?
Operation Diabetes is a promotional campaign designed to increase
awareness of diabetes and the dangers associated with the disease,
provide glucose screening and monitoring, and promote pharmaceutical care
in the community. Our goal is not to diagnose diabetes, but rather to
provide information to the public in order for them to become more
knowledgeable about the disease and to be able to recognize signs and
symptoms of diabetes. As one of the most accessible health care
professionals, pharmacists can directly impact the management of diabetes
in patients. By directly involving pharmacists in diabetes management and
screening, we hope to help identify those who may not have been
identified in the past, help patients manage their diabetes, and
ultimately prevent long-term complications of the disease.
Diabetes affects the health and wellbeing of people nationwide.
Currently, one in four people in the United States has diabetes, has a
family member with the disease, or will develop the disease. Of the 18.2
million people (6.3% of the population) in the United States with
diabetes, 5.2 million of them are undiagnosed. A large number are
undiagnosed because approximately 90% of diabetics have type 2 diabetes,
the form of disease with few to mild symptoms in its early stages.
While the early stages of the disease may be nearly symptom-free,
complications can arise, seriously threatening the health and wellness of
the individual. In fact, diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death by
disease in the United States in 2000. Overall, the risk for death among
people with diabetes is about 2 times that of people without diabetes.
Diabetes is also the leading cause of new blindness and vision loss in
adults creating 24,000 new cases a year from diabetic neuropathy. Not
only do diabetics often experience vision complications, but many suffer
from end stage renal failure (ESRD). In fact, diabetes is the most common
cause of ESRD. Cardiovascular disease is also 2 to 4 times more common in
diabetics compared to the general public, and their risk for stroke is 2
to 4 times higher. Over half of patients with diabetes suffer from
hypertension, and more than 82,000 amputations of a foot or leg are
performed due to peripheral vascular disease related to diabetes.
A large portion of healthcare resources are spent on diabetes
complications. Annual healthcare costs for diabetics are nearly 3.6 times
that of non-diabetics. Eight percent of hospital admissions and 3% of all
outpatient visits relate to diabetes. In 2002, $132 billion was spent on
the diabetic treatment. More than 50% of the cost directly relates to
medical treatment; the rest reflects indirect costs, for example lost
workdays, disability and premature death. In relation to the total US
healthcare expenditure, diabetes accounts for approximately 12% of that
spent.
As student pharmacists and as future health care providers, we can show
how the pharmacy profession is an excellent resource in helping combat
morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes. |
