Living With Diabetes? Your Rexall Pharmacist Can Help

Your Rexall Pharmacist has in-depth knowledge in areas of health and wellness, particularly diabetes management. Most Canadians don’t realize that diabetes in our population increases day by day and affects millions of people globally. You can take control of the daily management of your diabetes in several ways: educating yourself about the condition; having ongoing care; and by understanding the roles your doctor, pharmacist and even your family and friends, all play in your everyday health. They are your support system.

Here are some invaluable ways your Rexall Pharmacist can help you better manage your diabetes:

Get the 411
The most important step to success: getting the information you need about your condition and how to manage it. Check out credible websites to learn about the disease, symptoms and management tips. Your Rexall Pharmacist is one of your most valuable resources, as they can provide you with information specific to your condition, medications, side effects and much more. Your Rexall Pharmacist is specially trained in diabetes management. They are experts – available to you when you need them.

Get the Annual Flu Shot
The flu season is usually from October to April. It’s important to get vaccinated early as it takes 2 weeks to build immunity. The flu shot is even more important for individuals managing chronic conditions, like diabetes, where you are at greater risk for developing complications caused by influenza (flu).

Regular Testing
Keeping your blood glucose levels in a healthy range may require regularly checking your blood glucose one to several times a day. Self-monitoring is an integral part of diabetes management, because it puts you in the driver’s seat. Regardless of how you manage your diabetes – through diet and exercise alone or combined with oral medicines or insulin – regular glucose monitoring provides immediate feedback on how your regimen is working. As part of regular blood glucose testing, you can see what your blood sugar levels are, right at that moment in time. It’s just as important to have an A1C test conducted to get the bigger picture of how well controlled your diabetes has been over the last 2-3 months. At select Rexall locations, you can test your A1C levels with your Rexall Pharmacist by your side, to help you understand the results and better manage your diabetes.

Diet and Exercise
Healthy eating and physical activity provides numerous benefits for your quality of life and blood glucose control. Exercise burns glucose and improves the body’s ability to use insulin. This improvement in insulin sensitivity may allow some people with Type 2 diabetes to reduce, or even discontinue blood-glucose-lowering medicines with increased physical activity. If you’re making a commitment to physical activity or making any major changes in your diet, make sure you speak with your doctor and Pharmacist to discuss any limitations or restrictions you may have.

Follow up with Your Health Team
It’s important to keep your health team in the loop. Your Rexall Pharmacist is a key contributor to your diabetes management success. They help you manage your drug therapy, identify potentially harmful interactions among the drugs and over-the-counter products you may use, and provide you with advice on lifestyle choices, alternate therapies and new products or services available at the pharmacy.

To make it easier for you to take your medications, your Rexall Pharmacy offers a variety of medication management tools, including:

• Automated prescription refills,
• Picking up all your medications at one visit,
• Organizing all your medications into simple blister packs,
• Understanding your medication therapy.

Start a conversation today and speak with your Rexall Pharmacist to learn more.

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