In an interview with Pharmacy Times for the 2026 Diabetes Day of Education, Susan Cornell, PharmD, CDCES, FAPhA, FADCES, professor emeritus and experiential education specialist at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, discussed how pharmacists can maximize the clinical value of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data.
Cornell emphasized that sensor wear time is the critical first checkpoint when reviewing a CGM report—without at least 70% wear time, the data cannot be considered reliable. From there, she outlined a review hierarchy that prioritizes hypoglycemia before moving to time in range. Cornell also highlighted the rapid evolution of CGM-connected apps, which can now analyze food choices via photo recognition and anticipate glycemic responses to meals, exercise, and medications. She stressed that CGM-based patient education must be individualized, noting that the technology helps patients understand how food, sleep, stress, and physical activity uniquely affect their own glucose levels, empowering real-time prevention of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
Pharmacy Times: What is the most important continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data trend or pattern that pharmacists should be prioritizing when reviewing a patient's glucose report?
Susan Cornell, PharmD, CDCES, FAPhPhA, FADCES: That’s a very great question. When looking at a continuous glucose monitoring report, I think, first of all, the first thing pharmacists need to look at is how much time the CGM sensor was active because if we don't have at least 70% active time wearing the sensor, the data is not accurate. What happens is we need at least 70% wear time for us to collect enough data points for everything on that report to be true. So, when looking at that, the very first thing to look at is how long the patient had been wearing it, and do we have enough data points from there? We want to then look at, are they having hypoglycemia? Once we know what the hypoglycemia range is, the next thing to look at, of course, is time in range. So, there are a lot of different points to look at when we're reviewing the CGM report, but again, most importantly, is to make sure that the patient wore the sensor for enough time to collect enough data so that all of the information on the report is accurate.
Pharmacy Times: How are the latest features in CGM apps changing the way clinicians support patients in reaching their glycemic targets?
Key Takeaways
- Verify wear time first. A CGM report is only clinically reliable if the patient achieved at least 70% sensor-wear time. Always confirm this before interpreting any other data point.
- Follow the review hierarchy. When analyzing CGM data, prioritize identifying hypoglycemia before evaluating time in range to ensure patient safety drives the assessment.
- CGM education must be individualized. No two patients respond identically to food, stress, sleep, or exercise. CGM data gives pharmacists a powerful tool to deliver personalized, real-time glycemic guidance.
Cornell: You know, today is just unbelievable with technology. I recently was talking to a group of folks, and I said, “Of course, nobody ever wants to get diabetes, but if there were ever a time to get diabetes, it would be now because of the fact that we have so many treatment options.” We have so much technology that really helps people better manage their diabetes and live good-quality lives. So, when we start to look at what's available, and specifically with the continuous glucose monitors, now, as long as the sensor is connected to a person's phone, if they have a compatible phone, the app actually has the ability to assess what foods you're eating. So, you can take a picture of your food, and the app will tell you, “Well, you might want to consider this choice instead or expect your sugar to go this high.” The technology of connectivity is really, really moving forward. So, not only looking at food or exercise but even medication, this connectivity between the sensor, the phone, and other devices is really what's driving diabetes management today.
Pharmacy Times: What does personalizing CGM-based patient education look like in practice, particularly when it comes to preventing hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia in real time?
Cornell: It's very interesting that everybody thinks there's a one-size-fits-all approach. That's not the case. Every person is different, and that's where, again, continuous glucose monitoring is such a game changer because it will tell an individual person what food, stress, exercise, sleep, or lack of sleep does to their blood sugar. I think it's very important to realize that. I was actually talking with a patient recently, and they were woken up suddenly in the middle of the night because their alarm went off, but that jolt in waking up actually spiked their glucose, and that spike in glucose came from that adrenaline rush. I don't think people realize that. So, these sensors actually help us almost look at, well, look, we're going low; look, you're going high. It allows that person to make personal life choices. They can eat 2 pieces of pizza, and their sugar will go through the roof, whereas maybe another family member eats 2 pieces of pizza and nothing happens. This helps people make informed decisions about what they're eating, their activity, their sleep, and their stress so they can prevent hypoglycemia and they can prevent hyperglycemia.
