Diabetes and chronic care management is getting increasingly hi-tech, as innovations in medical equipment as well as the prevalence of digital and mobile solutions make it easier for patients to monitor their conditions and better adhere to their prescription schedules.

Among buyers and sellers interviewed at ECRM’s recent Diabetes/Clinical Programs, Chronic Care Management & Adherence Solutions EPPS, finding ways to leverage these innovations was key to providing the best and most tailored care possible, whether these innovations were smart fill solutions at the pharmacy or monitors and apps for tracking care.

This was the topic of the panel discussion held during the session, moderated by Jeffrey Woldt, VP and Editorial Director of Chain Drug Review, in which Rite Aid VP of Clinical Services Brian Bobby and Director of Clinical Operations Summer Kerley discussed how they partnered with Johnson & Johnson and Dexcom to better serve the diabetes patient.

“Our ultimate ideal is to be able to understand every patient as unique as they shop our pharmacies or front ends,” said Bobby. “We want to understand how we can tailor our individual products and services to them, as well as offer education to those patients to meet their unique needs.”

To help support the pharmacist, Rite Aid is using Johnson & Johnson’s digital health coaching link to give patients a more customized view of the lifestyle changes they need to make. “We also work with patients to utilize J&J’s Care for Today App,” said Kerley. “It helps ensure they are managing their medications appropriately by monitoring their progress and reminding them when to take their medications.”

To enable better monitoring of patients, Rite Aid works with Dexcom, which manufactures a device that can take up to 280 glucose readings a day, sending that information to the cloud where it can be shared with relevant partners to develop more personalized solutions. The pharmacy chain tried to involve patients in these solutions as early as possible, educating first-fill customers on insulin or other diabetic medications so that they can start off on the right foot. (See the November 20 issue of Chain Drug Review for detailed coverage of the panel discussion).

Buyers Choice Award Winners
The two ECRM/Drug Store News Buyers Choice Award winners are additional examples of how tech innovation is becoming more prevalent among suppliers of diabetes and chronic care solutions.

First place winner, Little Elm, Texas-based Retractable Technologies, Inc. manufactures medical devices aimed at providing safety for both patients and clinicians. Its VanishPoint syringes, blood collection products, and IV catheters feature pre-removal activation, effectively reducing the risk of needlestick injuries and preventing reuse. The EasyPoint retractable needle is compatible with both luer lock and luer slip syringes (3 mL or smaller) and can be used with pre-filled syringes.

Finalist Smart Meter is a global diabetes management technology and solutions company based in New City, NY, that enables the proactive management of diabetes through a diverse portfolio of innovative data, technology, and solutions. Its iGlucose Diabetes Solution is a cell-enabled solution that brings real-time data to people with diabetes and their circle of care. It includes a cell-enabled blood glucose meter, an automated virtual care coach, and web-based patient and population management portals, and was developed to remove the extra steps of downloading, syncing or paring technology to share blood glucose results.

Thought Interaction Pods
The session also included ECRM’s Thought Interaction Pod discussions, in which attendees participated in two rounds of roundtable discussions with their peers on a variety of topics. The Pod leaders and topics are listed below, and the videos are summaries of key takeaways from each discussion:

• Table 1: Tracy O'Donnell, Clinical Programs Specialist with Ahold USA: Community Pharmacy Collaborations for Diabetes Care
• Table 2: Renee Richardson, Clinical Coordinator with Giant Eagle: How to Engage Patients and Keep Patients Engaged in Diabetes Self-Management Education
• Table 3: Emily Prohaska, Clinical Pharmacists with Ball's Food Stores: Successful Transitions of Care for Diabetes Patients
• Table 4: Jeff Woldt, Vice President and Editorial Director with Chain Drug Review: Retail Pharmacy's Role in Diabetes Prevention
• Table 5: Karen Roddy, Director - Channel Development with Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Division: Creating a Diabetes Destination in the Pharmacy
• Table 6: Joseph Montoto, Pharmacy Procurement Manager with ShopRite Pharmacy Division/Wakefern Food Corp.: DIR STRAITS: Strategies to Manage DIR Fees Through Improved Diabetes Outcomes