Certified diabetes educator

Another aspect of the market for any value-added pharmacy services that must be considered is the competition. When identifying competitors, it is important to acknowledge exactly what services the pharmacy will pursue. When identifying competitors for value-added services, pharmacists often limit their search to other pharmacies and pharmacists. While this may be appropriate for traditional pharmacy goods and services (e.g., dispensing drug products), pharmacists considering new value-added services must cast a much broader net. Many value-added services offered by pharmacists are still at the introductory point of their product life cycles. Few, if any, other pharmacies may offer these services in a particular market. On the other hand, other competitors maybe very well established. For example, while diabetes education services currently are not offered in many community pharmacies, physicians and certified diabetes educators (who can be physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals) have provided this service for a number of years (Zrebiec, 2001). 

Zrebiec J. 2001. A national job analysis of certified diabetes educators by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators. Diabetes Educ 271694. 

The diabetes self-management codes for certified diabetes education programs include the Healthcare Common Procedural Codes (HCPC) GO 108 and GO 109. These two codes specifically describe diabetes education by a recognized provider. The GO 108 code describes a 30-minute individual education session, whereas the GO 109 code describes a 30-minute group education session (CMS, 2006). Each of these standardized codes is used on the billing form, and each code is associated with a specific compensation rate. 

Patient education and ability to demonstrate self-care and adherence to therapeutic lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions are crucial to successful outcomes. Multidisciplinary teams of health care professionals including physicians (primary care, endocrinologists, ophthalmologists, and vascular surgeons), podiatrists, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, behavioral health specialists, and certified diabetes educators are needed to optimize these outcomes in persons with diabetes mellitus. 

Typical carb bolus = lunit SAI covers 500/TDI x g carbohydrates trom meal (-10-15 g) strongly recommend referral to Registered/Licensed Dietitian or Certified Diabetes Educator with experience in diabetes nutrition counseling... 

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