Diabetes Overview – Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Academy

Diabetes is a significant and growing health challenge. The condition affects millions worldwide, and cases are expected to soar by 46% between 2021 and 2045, with the greatest increases being seen in low- and middle-income countries. Whilst people living with diabetes are at greater risk of mortality and morbidity, pharmacists are ideally positioned to make a meaningful impact.

This course will empower pharmacists to better support those living with diabetes. From medication management and patient counselling to early recognition of disease complications, you’ll gain essential knowledge and skills to support better health outcomes for your patients.

Learning objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Describe and differentiate the risk factors, clinical features and diagnosis of the various types of diabetes.
Identify and explain the different insulin regimens and provide patient counselling on key points related to the initiation and maintenance of insulin therapy for managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Apply knowledge of the various classes of glucose-lowering medications in case studies, demonstrating appropriate selection and management for people living with diabetes.
Explain the importance of glucose monitoring and control, discussing the outcomes of tight blood glucose control.
Recognise symptoms of diabetes complications and discuss appropriate management strategies.

Behaviour change

The purpose of this course is not only to improve your knowledge of diabetes and its management but also to actively promote positive and lasting changes in your practice and how you approach patient care and education for those living with diabetes.

The main course content has been structured to help you improve your knowledge and skills so you are more confident in carrying out different behaviours. We will then address a specific behaviour in a dedicated behaviour change section within the course.

Increase awareness of safe insulin practices to reduce the incidence of insulin errors and protect patient safety

During this section, we ask you to reflect on your current practice, any barriers you may face and the steps you can take to improve in the future. We finish each section by highlighting tools and strategies to help going forward.

To get the most out of this course, we encourage you to participate fully in this section.

This course should take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Published: December 2024

Review date: December 2027

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