Managing Your Diabetes

November is National Diabetes Month

Do you or someone you know live with diabetes? Forward Pharmacy can help!

Let’s face it. Diabetes can be challenging. Our staff at Forward Pharmacy can help you navigate this treatable and manageable condition.

Experts in equipment, supplies, and disposal

Senior woman with glucometer checking blood sugar level at home. Diabetes, health care concept

At Forward Pharmacy, we are experts with diabetic testing supplies. If you feel you are paying too much for your test strips or lancets, please talk with a staff member at Forward Pharmacy. We can work with your clinic and insurance company to select the most cost-effective test strip and lancet for you.

Likewise, if you’re having trouble using your blood glucose meter, bring it in to Forward Pharmacy. Our pharmacists are also experts at programming, using, and troubleshooting all blood glucose meters. From low batteries, to test results that are out of range, to setting the date and time or using the memory, we can help you get the most from your meter!

Did you know you can bring your sharps back to Forward Pharmacy for free, safe disposal? At Forward Pharmacy, we care about your safety and the safety of the community. That’s why we offer free sharps collection at our pharmacies. Just place your used needles, syringes, and lancets into a red sharps container, close it up and then bring it in at no charge to you!

Over-the-counter: diabetes-friendly options

We know living with diabetes can make selecting an over-the-counter medication extra challenging––and even more so during cold and flu season. At Forward Pharmacy, our pharmacists can help select the cough or cold medication that is right for you. We can check to make sure it is safe for you to take and that it will work to treat your cold––just ask us!

We also offer a wide variety of sugar-free cough drops and liquid cold medications to make selecting the appropriate over-the-counter medication that much easier.

Maintaining your glucose level

If you use insulin to treat your diabetes, you can be at risk for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. The signs and symptoms include dizziness, sweating and irregular heartbeat.

Blood Glucose Meter — It’s important to maintain your glucose levels.

What should you do if these symptoms occur? The first thing you should do is sit down and check your blood glucose. If your blood glucose level is below your target or less than 70, eat or drink 15 grams of carbohydrates right away. Examples include 4 ounces of orange, apple or other juice, half of a can of regular (not diet) soda or 4 glucose tablets.*

Wait 15 minutes and check your blood glucose again. If your glucose level is still low, eat or drink another 15 grams of glucose or carbohydrates. Check your blood glucose again after another 15 minutes. Repeat these steps until your glucose level is back to normal.

Forward Pharmacy offers glucose tablets in a variety of flavors and package sizes to fit your needs. Make sure your family members know the signs of hypoglycemia too, and give them a roll of glucose tablets to keep in their pocket or purse.

Making diabetes manageable

Diabetes is a condition that is both treatable and manageable, but it sometimes presents a challenge. It helps to have family and friends who can navigate those challenges along with you. At Forward Pharmacy, our staff is here to help make that process easier. Stop in at any of our locations to receive our expert help!