Taking lessons from a teenager

I came across an article that struck a chord in me about a 13-year old aspiring tennis star named Elizabeth Profit. She ranks in the top 10 of her age group in her state and hopes to compete in the U.S Open one day. But, that's not what I found inspiring. Not only does she fight on the court, but she also fights off the court - against diabetes.

Elizabeth has had juvenile diabetes since she was 2, but she doesn't let that stop her from accomplishing her dreams. At the young age of 3, she learned her to test her own blood sugar, and at just 5 years old, she started doing the insulin injections herself.

Here's a small blurb from the article:

"My mom said I'm not going use my diabetes as a disability," said Elizabeth. "I've got it for the rest of my life. And if they miraculously find a cure for it then that's great, but I have to live with it. I can't make excuses."

Until she learned how to manage diabetes, Elizabeth found herself collapsing at times. "In this one particular tournament Elizabeth played in, her blood sugar was totally out of control and I kept hollering out to her, 'Quit! Retire, you don't have to do this,' " said Yvonne. "She stopped and she turned around and said, 'I can do this. I can do this, Mom.' " Elizabeth went on to win the match and the tournament. "By the time we got home, she had collapsed on the floor. And I said, 'Sweetie pie, why didn't you quit?' " Yvonne remembered. "Because you didn't raise me to be a quitter," Elizabeth told her mother. In spite of her diabetes, Elizabeth reached the No. 1 ranking in her age group in Southern California at 10 years old.

Elizabeth inspires us by knowing that someone with diabetes doesn't have to feel completely restricted by the condition. There are ways to overcome it as long as you want to! You can find the rest of the article by clicking here. It's worth a read!

You can also make a difference by helping fund the research for a cure through the American Diabetes Association!


Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/09/13/profit.sisters/index.html

Diabetes Awareness Month

Happy November!! Hard to believe how quickly the month is coming and going, almost Thanksgiving already! :) Well, in case you didn't know... November is Diabetes Awareness Month. This past weekend MOD participated in a health fair in Rockville, MD which was themed 'Knock Out Diabetes' and focused on empowering people to deal with their disease. And just a few short weeks ago, MOD  hosted 'Healthy Halloween' for elementary and middle school aged children at the school of pharmacy. Amongst her efforts to promote diabetes awareness, MOD has also been very busy with pharmacy school exams! Until she can update you with stories, news, and videos(!!)... check out this article written by Operation Diabetes Past Senior Chair, Ashley McCabe. I bet you can learn something about the role of your pharmacist in the management of diabetes. Enjoy!

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

In support of American Diabetes Month, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, pharmacists in Maryland and Nationwide want to remind Marylanders of the pharmacists’ role in combating the illness, saving lives and saving patients’ money.

Diabetes is a confusing, complicated and frustrating disease that affects over 24 million Americans (1). It takes teamwork and dedication to battle Diabetes. This is where a pharmacist has the most value. As the most accessible healthcare provider and as the medication experts, pharmacists are on virtually every street corner with knowledge and resources to keep patients with diabetes on track to a long, healthy and happy life.

Pharmacists are the medication experts. They know all about diabetes medications as well as the medications for the diseases that often accompany diabetes, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. To successfully manage medications, side effects, outcomes and complications, pharmacists are one of the best resources at your disposal. Some pharmacists have specialized to become Certified Diabetes Educators (CDE) and can have an active role in diabetes care. Others have skills in Medication Therapy Management (MTM), ensuring the most effective and affordable care for their patients. Furthermore, all pharmacists can educate about medications, demonstrate glucometers, take blood pressure, and explain lab results.

Involving a pharmacist in Diabetes care also has proven financial benefit. In 2007, Diabetes cost the United States $176 billion1 in direct and indirect costs. Controlling and managing Diabetes while preventing complications with help save money. Pharmacists can help with this.

Pharmacists have proven their value. An example is the Asheville Project, a 5 year study in Asheville, North Carolina where pharmacist provided pharmaceutical care services through community pharmacies. The results showed improved health outcomes and cost savings (2). Another study that expands this theory is currently taking place ‐ the Diabetes Ten City Challenge. This study similar to the Ashville Project, but expands the concept of pharmacists managing Diabetes to ten cities across the United States. One of those cities is Cumberland, Maryland, which in association with local pharmacist through the Maryland P3 Program (Pharmacist, Patients, Partnerships), the Maryland Pharmacists Association and The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, is helping over 250 Maryland residents (3).

Chances are you know someone with Diabetes or you yourself have Diabetes. Young, middle‐aged, pregnant women and older Americans are all burdened with daily blood glucose checks, multiple medications, and insulin injections.

Help friends, family members or yourself get the most benefit from your medications and improve overall quality of life.
 
If you know or think you are at risk for Diabetes, talk to your local pharmacist today!
 
Know Your Medicine, Know Your Pharmacist.

References:
1. National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007.
2. Cranor CW, Bunting BA, Christensen DB. The Asheville Project: Long‐Term Clinical and Economic Outcomes of a Community Pharmacy Diabetes Care Program. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2003;43:173–84.
3. Cumberland, Maryland Diabetes Ten City Challenge Fact Sheet. American Pharmacists Association Foundation. Washington, D.C.

For more information look to the following resources:
www.mpha.org
www.diabetes.org

Ashley McCabe, Student Pharmacist, University of Maryland Class of 2011

Use of Avandia in diabetes patients significantly restricted

Less than a month ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to severely restrict the use of Avandia in diabetes patients. Avandia was approved by the FDA in 1999 and soon after it became the top selling diabetes drug in the world. But in 2007, after Avandia, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, was shown to cause cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes in patients with diabetes instead of preventing it, drug sales pummeled.

A good number of patients with diabetes die due to heart problems, and antidiabetic drugs like Avandia are supposed to prevent them. With these new restrictions in place, Avandia, just like Accutane, will have to undergo FDA’s stringent monitoring program called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS). Health care providers will have to let the patients know about the risks before prescribing the drug.

While US decided to restrict the use of Avandia, the European Union (EU) decided to withdraw the drug from European market.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm226956.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/DiabetesNews/fda-restricts-avandia-patients/story?id=11709403

Step Out for Diabetes October 2, 2010!!

We'll write with more American Pharmacist Month updates soon, but check out our videos from Step Out for Diabetes. We walked last weekend and raised about $2200 for the ADA in their fight against Diabetes with nearly 40 University of Maryland pharmacy students! 

New Recipe Cards from MOD!

Happy October 1st!! Today marks the beginning of American Pharmacist Month, an exciting time for MOD and everyone at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy!

Just this afternoon 2/3 of the MOD leadership + many of her fellow student Pharmacists went to Washington, DC to participate in a healthfair at the APhA national headquarters. They were educating APhA employees as well as members of the US State Department. We just posted a video diary entry of the day to kick off American Pharmacist Month, check out our videos scrolling to the left or here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjFweceonKI

We made some recipe cards today to hand out at the health fair, and I thought I would upload them here for everyone to see! Enjoy :)

Alcohol and Diabetes? Can MOD Still Enjoy a Night Out on the Town?

It's a saturday night and as I was considering a beer to accompany the college football, I got the idea for a blog post! How do your social habits have to change if you have diabetes? 

Even if you've counted carbs, cut out candy, and mastered the exchange system to get a dietary handle on your diabetes, alcohol may be the hardest "food group" to manage since social drinking is such a pervasive part of our society. And you'll be darned if you're going to give up what may seem like one of the few pleasures you have left—drinking. Whether it be green beer at the bar on St. Patrick's day, a champagne toast at your freind's wedding, or a glass of wine at dinner with friends, is it OK when you have diabetes?

Let's get to the bottom of it: Is drinking acceptable if you have diabetes? The answer is yes, in moderation, providing that you take the proper precautions. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) asserts that alcohol can be incorporated into a diet plan, provided that blood sugar control is already well established and other conditions that aren't compatible with alcohol consumption (such as pregnancy or certain diabetic complications) don't exist. And you must be 21 of course! ;)
How It Works
When you drink, your liver decreases its ability to release glucose so that it can instead clean the alcohol from your blood. Because glucose production is shut down, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) becomes a risk for people with diabetes, particularly if you drink on an empty stomach or shortly after taking insulin or glucose-lowering oral medications. And because it takes two hours for just one ounce of alcohol to metabolize and leave your system, the risk continues long after you've emptied your glass.
A Two-Drink Maximum
For individuals with well-controlled diabetes, alcohol intake should follow the same guidelines the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established for the general population. This means a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one drink daily for women. (A higher alcohol intake is allowed for most men because women have a lower body water content then men and also metabolize alcohol more slowly.) In addition, due to physiological changes such as loss of lean body mass that occur as the body ages, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that anyone over age 65 should not consume more than one alcoholic drink daily.

 One drink is defined as
- 12 ounces of regular beer (150 calories)
- 5 ounces of wine (100 calories)
- 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (100 calories)


[One drink equals 2 fat exchanges; regular beer is an additional 1 starch exchange.]
Alcohol has no nutritional value.

 Source: http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/information/daily_living/diabetes_alcohol/

MOD SG’s 1st Health Fair!

As you all know, this is my sister MOD SG’s freshman year in pharmacy school! She attended her first health fair last weekend at Mount Jezreel Baptist Church in Silver Spring, MD. She was accompanied by her BFFs MOI SG and MOH SG who were advocating for immunization and heartburn respectively. She had a great time educating the community about diabetes and its consequences if it wasn’t controlled. While there were about 200 people at the fair, she personally had an opportunity to talk to over 50 people and listen to their personal stories. MOD SG had a risk assessment form that showed that some of these patients were at risk for diabetes. Some of them already knew that they had diabetes and were there to ask some specific questions about their medications to MOD SG’s lovely professor Dr. Sullivan. When she told me all about her first successful health fair, I decided to blog about it so that everyone who couldn’t accompany her could read about her first pharmacy school adventure! I am glad that she had an exciting start to her pharmacy school career and will continue with her noble work of educating the community about diabetes. 

<3 MOD UMB.

Step Out for Diabetes!

Every year, the ADA hosts an event called StepOut which is a walk to raise money for the fight against diabetes. The money goes towards research to find a cure, raising awareness, and providing services to those affected by diabetes.  Here at the University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy, we've formed a team so that we, too, can be part of this very important cause. We are all extremely excited to be able to make a difference through this great event. Our goal this year is to raise $3,000 so please help support us by joining our team or making a donation. Every donation and every step will bring us closer to stopping diabetes and improving the lives of everyone affected by this deadly disease.

We have two walks this year in both Baltimore at the Inner Harbor and in DC at Nationals Park.

In Baltimore:

Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010

Where: Rash Field @ Inner Harbor

Check-in Time: 8:00 am

Start Time: 9:00 am

Distance: 5K (about 3 mi)

To sign up for or donate to the Baltimore team, click here. Scroll to the bottom, where you will see the link "Join Team" next to the team name. 

In DC:

Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010

Where: Nationals Park

Address: 1500 S. Capital St. SE,

              Washington, DC

              MAP 

Check-in Time: 8:00am

Start Time: 10:00 am

Distance: 2mi or 5mi

To sign up for or donate to the DC team, click here. Scroll to the bottom, where you will see the link "Join Team" next to the team name.


Hope to see you there!

Welcome Back!! New year, new logo!

Thanks for checking out MOD! If you're reading this, the first thing you need to do is 'follow' this blog... check out the left side bar! Ok next, continue to read... :) 

Here we are at the start of yet another school year! My name is Erica and I am the current Chair of Operation Diabetes at UMB (University of Maryland, Baltimore). I am very excited to be starting my 3rd year of Pharmacy School and continue working with other students and our community to spread awareness about Diabetes!

Check out the new Operation Diabetes Logo:

Some of our plans for the year include working with the local Hispanic population through our participation at health fairs, creating a video to teach others about diabetes in a fun and understandable way, continuing to develop MOD- the persona of this blog!, fundraising for the American Diabetes Association through our participation in Step Out for Diabetes, and organizing a diabetes-focused, multidisciplinary health fair with other UMB professional students!

The best way to tackle these goals will be to involve others. I am happy to have dedicated Co-Chairs at both the Baltimore and Shady Grove campuses and hope we can involve many other APhA-ASP members in our committee and upcoming events.

Cheers! <3 MOD

End of the school year & time for changes!

WOW!  What a year for MOD and OD :)

In fact, it couldn't have gotten much better.  Thank you to everyone who has followed MOD and supported Operation Diabetes!  This year it was Region 2, next year it'll be the national award ;)

FYI, MOD went to DC and took home some extra for UMB to be proud of!

Good luck to Erica, Kelly and Shlok, the new team OD!

<3 MOD