Pharmacy do their bit for those with diabetes

Putting their best slipper forward for Diabetes Week are Jade Dodson, Stephanie Seeto and Tiana Brennan from Fullife Pharmacy. Tanya Easterby

ALMOST 3% of Gympie residents live with diabetes and, while that figure is well under the state average of 8.6, the staff of Gympie's Fulllife Pharmacy are determined to help lower the local statistics.

Pharmacy staff donned their favourite slippers this week to highlight the National Diabetes Strategy as part of Diabetes Awareness Week.

Concerns about the diabetes epidemic are increasing in regional Queensland as the number of people developing the potentially fatal condition continues to increase.

New research, commissioned by Diabetes Queensland, has found people living in regional Queensland are more concerned about diabetes with 70% believing diabetes was becoming an epidemic compared to 61% of people in Brisbane.

Diabetes Queensland CEO Michelle Trute said the findings may be linked to the dramatically increasing rates of diabetes prevalence in regional Queensland.

"Almost 3% of Gympie residents live with diabetes, which is well under the State average of 8.6%," Ms Trute said.

"That is almost 1000 people who live with a condition requiring constant management and carries with it the risk of serious complications including foot amputation, blindness and kidney failure.

"While, on the face of it, the results may look good the scary thing is the rates have increased by more than 36% over the past four years.

"The diabetes epidemic is a clear and present danger in Gympie and I believe this may be driving the heightened concern."

Ms Trute said the reasons why diabetes was increasing in regional Queensland were clear.

"The research tells us type 2 diabetes prevalence can be driven by demographic factors such as socioeconomic status and the age of a community as well as social factors such as access to healthy food options and active transport options," Ms Trute said.

"Average incomes in regional Queensland are lower, communities are older and people don't always have the easy access to healthy lifestyles that they do in metropolitan Queensland.

"Enough is enough. We need concerted action to address the diabetes epidemic that is wrecking lives and driving up health spending in regional communities.

"We need a comprehensive prevention strategy incorporating risk screening at accessible community locations and a National Telephone Riskline to support people at risk.

"We also need to make sure people with diabetes are getting the treatment they need to reduce complications associated with diabetes such as the requirements for costly and traumatic procedures like lower limb amputation."

Title : Pharmacy do their bit for those with diabetes
Published on : Friday, July 19, 2013
Category : Diabetes
Post URL : http://internal-med.blogspot.com/2013/07/pharmacy-do-their-bit-for-those-with.html