Diabetic Eye Complications – Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Academy

In 2021, 537 million adults were living with diabetes, with 3 in 4 living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this course, you will be introduced to diabetes as a prevalent healthcare concern that is on the rise. Consistently high blood glucose levels can cause damage throughout the body, significantly impacting the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, teeth and eyes. This course will have a specific emphasis on complications affecting the eyes, including exploring how eye problems can be avoided, diagnosed, managed, and treated, with a focus on the role of the pharmacist in this process.

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

Identify signs and symptoms of diabetic eye complications and appropriately refer patients
Counsel patients about the importance of medication adherence, the need to control blood sugar levels, diabetic eye problems, and the value of eye screening
Explain pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for diabetic eye complications to improve patient therapeutic outcomes
Educate people living with diabetes about the risk of eye disease, strategies to prevent eye complications and the fact that vision may not be affected until late in the disease

This course should take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Before we begin, have a go at completing the baseline quiz. This quiz aims solely to measure your baseline understanding before taking the course. There will be another quiz at the end of the course, so you can compare scores and check your progress. Please note that you can only attempt this quiz once.

Funding Acknowledgements

This CPD course is supported through our strategic partnership with Novartis International AG. The views expressed in this course are solely those of the authors and contributors.

Diabetic Eye Complications Acknowledgements

Authors: Pauline Roberts and Roger Roberts
Reviewers: Manjula Halai, Meghna Joshi-von Heyden, Tunde Peto, Chiko Savieli and Racheal Yoon

Original content, images and illustrations were provided by Prof Tunde Peto, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and Novartis International AG – Training [source- Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema Apr 19, 2021 FUSE MLR ID: 119478 [PowerPoint Presentation 16/06/22]].

Published: June 2022

Review date: May 2025