A free
programme to help people with diabetes better understand their
condition and keep it under control has been launched by health and
beauty chain Guardian.
Diabetics can
sign up for the 12-week programme at 20 Guardian outlets
islandwide.
A Guardian
pharmacist will have a weekly meeting to guide them on things like
exercise and how to identify food that might cause blood sugar
spikes.
Guardian's
Diabetic Patient Care Programme was started about two months ago.
It aims to encourage people with diabetes to do regular
self-monitoring of their blood glucose levels.
So far, around
10 people have signed up for the programme. They are required to
take three sets of readings with their glucometer per week, each
tied to a meal, as well as a photo of each of those meals.
At the end of
every week, the diabetic books an appointment with a Guardian
pharmacist to go through the readings and photos, in order to
identify any blood sugar spikes and food that may be causing those
spikes.
Participating
outlets
Block 190 Toa Payoh, Hong Leong
Building, ION Orchard, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Novena
Square, Raffles City, Takashimaya SC, Tiong Bahru Plaza, Block 210
Bedok Central, Parkway Parade, Tampines North Drive 2, White Sands
Mall, Northpoint, Causeway Point, Block 704 Ang Mo Kio Central,
Serangoon Nex, Waterway Point, Bukit Panjang Plaza, IMM and Jurong
Point.
The
pharmacists will also recommend plans to improve diet, exercise,
medication compliance and lifestyle choices.
At the end of
12 weeks, the person will be given a complimentary HbA1c test - a
routine blood test for diabetic patients.
Ms Grace Chew,
33, a pharmacist at Guardian's Bukit Panjang Plaza outlet who
manages three diabetics under this programme, was surprised at how
little they knew about managing their condition.
One person,
for example, did not know that the needle he uses to prick himself
to check his blood sugar level needed to be changed regularly.
Blood that is left on the used needle promotes bacterial
growth.
"It could
cause an infection and make wounds more difficult to heal," said Ms
Chew.
Others did not
know that being thirsty or hungry could be a sign of high blood
sugar levels.
Ms Chew hopes
the programme will raise awareness about diabetes, and provide
reliable and accurate information on how to manage it.
"It's
convenient and complimentary, and will help the patient avoid
unnecessary healthcare bills."
A version of this article appeared in the
print edition of The Straits Times on January 09, 2017, with the
headline 'Guardian offers free programme to help diabetics'.