November is American Diabetes Month – a time to come together to spread awareness about diabetes prevention and management. Pharmacies play a crucial role in healthcare, making them ideal partners in promoting awareness and education during this month. In this blog post, we’ll explore key ways pharmacies can actively participate in American Diabetes Month.
Participate in World Diabetes Day
November 14th is recognized as World Diabetes Day, a day in which one can raise awareness about the impact of diabetes and also highlight the importance of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. One way to show your support on World Diabetes Day is by participating in the Light it Up Blue Campaign and adding blue lights to your pharmacy. You could also encourage your staff to wear blue shirts, pins, or ribbons, and use the resources available to make it a memorable event that keeps diabetes care and prevention top-of-mind. You can even download additional resources and graphics related to national diabetes day at this link.
Spread Awareness on Diabetes Care & Prevention
Educating patients about diabetes, its prevention, and management is crucial during Diabetes Month. Here are some tips and resources for spreading awareness:
Offer Blood Sugar Testing: Provide free blood glucose testing and counsel customers on their results. You could even create follow-up appointments for your customers that would like to regularly check in with you regarding their condition. Having an easily accessible testing station at your pharmacy will lead to increased customers engaging and educating themselves about this condition.
Educate on Healthy Lifestyle: Provide information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular physical activity, to help prevent and manage diabetes. Consider even bringing in a Registered Dietician or Health Coach to host a session at your pharmacy to educate patients on how to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Share Diabetes Resources: Utilize diabetes fact sheets, brochures, or digital resources from the American Diabetes Association to educate your patients.
Engage Through Social Media: Share informative posts, infographics, and graphics related to diabetes awareness on your social media channels. Many websites provide free, non-copyright images your pharmacy can utilize to spread education and awareness, consider putting a team member in charge of gathering this information and creating posts for your channels.
Promote Routine Immunizations
People with diabetes are at a higher risk of complications from infections. By encouraging routine immunizations, such as flu shots, pneumococcal, and even hepatitis vaccines, you are not only protecting your patients from these diseases but also from the complications that can accompany them.
Promote your vaccination offerings, and consider focusing your wording and promotions on your diabetic patients, during the month of November.
Encourage Medication Adherence
Ensuring patients with diabetes adhere to their prescribed medications is essential for their health and management of the condition. Here are some strategies to promote medication adherence:
Digital Refills: Simplify the refill process by adding a “refill request” option to your website. Patients can request refills online, making it convenient and accessible.
Prescription Refill Reminders: Send refill reminders via email, text messages, automated IVR calls, or voicemail to help patients stay on track with their medications.
Home Delivery: Offer low-cost or free home delivery to make it easier for patients, particularly those with diabetes, to receive their medications without leaving their homes.
Specialty Services: Consider providing services like Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and Medication Synchronization to assist patients in managing multiple medications effectively.
Promote Diabetes Awareness on Social Media
Various health organizations participate in Diabetes Awareness Month, providing abundant resources for your social media campaigns. Here are some valuable resources to help you spread awareness this year:
National Institute of Health (NIH): The NIH 2023 Diabetes Month Toolkit has free social media posts and graphics that are all specific to this year’s campaign theme, Take Charge of Tomorrow, which focuses on the prevention of diabetes health problems.
American Diabetes Association (ADA): The ADA offers a wealth of resources, including social media graphics, content ideas, and infographics that can be used in your social media campaigns.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC offers valuable information and social media resources to spread awareness on diabetes prevention and management that can be shared on your pharmacy’s social media channels year-round.
For additional support in curating health resources and scheduling social media content for Diabetes Month, consider reaching out to our team of digital marketing specialists. Together, we can make a significant impact in promoting diabetes awareness and prevention!
For a full list of Health Awareness months, weeks, and days, check out our 2023 health awareness calendar.
