Why did my doctor prescribe something for cholesterol or high blood pressure if I don’t have these conditions?
Having diabetes increases your risk of heart disease. Because of this, the diabetes treatment guidelines include medications to lower cholesterol, lower blood-pressure or lower blood sugar with additional heart protective properties. In the case of people with diabetes who do not have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, the use of these medications is to prevent diabetes complications in the very small arterial vessels in your heart, eyes, kidneys and extremities. The purpose is to protect you from heart disease, chronic chest pain, vision loss, kidney dysfunction/failure and nerve damage in extremities leading to amputations. If you have questions or concerns about a new medication you’ve been prescribed – or even any of your current medications – please feel free to ask our Certified Diabetes Educator Pharmacists.
How do I know if my medications are working?
Medications and treatments are meant to help improve your condition while avoiding side effects and complications. Sometimes a person can feel the difference when a medication is working, other times the only way to tell is from readings. In either case, the goal is for you to be healthier.
LMC’s CDE Pharmacists are specially trained to comprehensively assess your medications for drug interactions, drug therapy problems and effectiveness. They can help you when you initially start taking a new medication to avoid side effects and check that it is working as expected. They can also check over time to ensure the medication is still as effective as it can be. Sometimes over time, a dose change (increase or decrease) or medication change is in order. Routine medication assessments will help you get the most benefit from your medications while avoiding side effects and complications.
Do LMC CDE Pharmacists only help people with diabetes medications?
While our team is specialized in diabetes care, as pharmacists we can assess and train on all types of medications. In addition, we also offer these services:
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Custom medication timetables – If you are a shift worker or cross time zones you might wonder when it is best to take your medications. We can create a personalized medication time table to help you take your medications considering your schedule, whether the items should be taken with or without food, and whether it can be taken with other medications.
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Drug interaction assessments – We can check and assess interactions between prescription, non-prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, herbals and recreational products.
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Family and caregiver training – Sometimes people take medications or have conditions that require family or caregivers to intervene. We offer family and caregiver training to be more confident in routine skills, such as injecting medications, or in the event of emergencies, such as what to do if experiencing an allergic reaction or an asthma attack.
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Quit Smoking Program – A pharmacist-led personal quit smoking program is available to help you curb cravings, nix the nicotine and help you quit or decrease smoking.
Please book an appointment with the LMC CDE Pharmacist if you would like an assessment, training or education consultation. In Ontario, diabetes and quit smoking consultations with LMC Pharmacists are covered by OHIP.
