CVS Caremark to Host Live Facebook Chats for Patients with Diabetes

In recognition of American Diabetes Month CVS Caremark is hosting live Facebook chats to answer patients’ questions about diabetes and chronic condition management. Among other topics, the discussions will address how diabetes patients and their families can best manage their disease.

CVS/pharmacy will host a live online event with a CVS pharmacist on November 15, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. (EST) that can be accessed by logging on to the CVS/pharmacy Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cvs. During the event, CVS pharmacists will offer insights to individuals with diabetes on filling their prescriptions on time, continuing to take their medications as prescribed, and monitoring their conditions regularly.

“As a pharmacy innovator, we have created a number of programs to help the nearly 26 million Americans who have diabetes manage their condition and find new and effective ways to put them on a path to better health,” said Troyen A. Brennan, MD, chief medical officer, CVS Caremark, in a statement.

Many patients are drawn to social media to share information and to find support and strategies for living with chronic disease, but recent CVS Caremark research showed great variability in the standards used to ensure sites effectively provide information and answers to important health-related questions. “We are committed to providing high quality, accurate information through this medium,” Brennan added.

Nearly 2 million patients have joined CVS/pharmacy’s ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes program that helps patients with diabetes keep costs down through discounts on hundreds of supplies. In addition, CVS pharmacists are available to counsel patients on ways to lower medication costs, such as switching to generics from brand-name medications. CVS pharmacists also play a role in helping diabetes patients manage their medications by counseling on side effects, dosage timing, and interactions in efforts to improve adherence. More information about resources available for diabetes patients at CVS/pharmacy is available at www.cvs.com/diabetes.

At MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores across the country, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are also working to help patients better manage diabetes. Patients can get routine lab tests, such as hemoglobin A1c and blood glucose screening, instant results and expert help from MinuteClinic practitioners on disease management and medication adherence. Now through the end of the year, patients coming in to MinuteClinic for diabetes monitoring will receive a free portable organizer kit for transportation of diabetic supplies. Certain program restrictions apply. For details, please visit www.minuteclinic.com/diabetes.