Diabetes Education and Monitoring
Are you one of the 8 million people in the United States being
treated for diabetes? Or are you one of the other 7 million who
do not even know they have the disease? Any way you look at it,
diabetes is a major health problem, and the pharmacists at Rice
Drugs are here to help you manage your high blood sugar.
Our pharmacists know that diabetes is associated with a variety
of health complications including: blindness, heart attack, stroke,
kidney failure, and even premature death. It is our goal to counsel
all diabetic patients about their disease to help decrease symptoms,
prevent complications and to increase overall well-being and quality
of life. Do you have questions about your diabetes mellitus? Let our
knowledgeable staff help you to manage your disease.
We provide care, education, and counseling for all aspects of diabetes,
including the following:
Diabetic supplies
Rice Drugs has a wide variety of glucose monitors, glucose testing
strips, and lancets. Our pharmacists will help you to select the
monitor which best suits your needs. We will instruct you regarding
proper use and potential trouble-shooting techniques should problems
arise. When problems do arise and you can’t find the answer,
we will gladly service your meter.
Testing your blood sugar multiple times a day can get quite costly — we
will gladly bill your private insurance company for your diabetic
supplies if they are covered by your plan. If your plan covers the
items, you will simply be responsible for your co-payment. For our
patients with Medicare Part B, we will bill Medicare for your supplies. You have no forms to fill out!
If you use insulin, Medicare will pay
for 100 glucose-testing strips and 100 lancets per month. For those of
you who do not use insulin, instead you manage your diabetes with oral
medications and/or diet and exercise, Medicare will pay for 100
glucose-testing strips and 100 lancets every 3 months. If you are
uncontrolled, they will make exceptions—so, if you have questions about
Medicare, give us a call. Medicare pays 80% of the charges, you pay the
remaining 20% unless you have a supplement which will pay the remainder
of the charges. Rice Drugs is proud to employ a Medicare billing
specialist to help with all your billing needs. She is here to answer
any questions you may have about payment for diabetic supplies. If you
have a question, just give us a call!
Diabetic Footwear
Rice Drugs offers diabetic footwear to our patients. With your
doctor’s order, we will send a footwear specialist to your home to
measure you and help you to select the footwear that best meets your
needs. We will gladly bill your private insurance for this service.
Again, for our Medicare patients, we will bill them for you! They will
cover 1 pair of shoes and 3 pair of inserts per year. If your doctor
says you would benefit from diabetic shoes, give us a call!
Medication Education
Humalog®? Actos®? Starlix®? Glyset®?
What in the
world do all these things do? At Rice Drugs, we know you have questions
about your medications, and our pharmacists are here to give you all the
answers! We take time to explain your medicines when they are filled,
careful to always tell you about the possible risks and side effects,
along with strategies to maximize their effectiveness. So, when your
doctor prescribes “rosiglitazone,” and you want to know what it’s for,
come see our pharmacists. We have the answers for you.
Blood sugar testing
Diabetic patient care is of utmost importance at our pharmacy. As part of our health and wellness services, we are glad to provide
blood glucose testing. For a mere $5.00 and a tiny needle prick, we
can test your blood sugar. It’s that simple. Just remember it’s
usually best to test your blood sugar in a fasting state, so try to
come in before breakfast. This testing is ideal for those individuals
who are at risk for developing diabetes and just want to keep a careful,
close watch on their blood glucose. If your blood glucose test is
potentially high or even borderline, our pharmacists will refer you to
your physician for a follow-up evaluation.
As you can see, we are here to help you manage your diabetes. Our
pharmacists strongly advise checking your blood sugar often and
maintaining tight control, for this is the best way to limit long-term
complications. At Rice Drugs, we know complying with your diet can be
tough sometimes, so we maintain a wide assortment of sugar-free chocolate
candies and fudge to help with your occasional sweet tooth! Just stop
in and give it a try. If you have further questions about your diabetes
or would like more information about our services, give one of our
pharmacists a call at 1-888-650-RICE or e-mail us at
rx@ricedrugs.com.
Diabetes
Cholesterol
Asthma
Hypertension
Immunizations
Natural Hormones