Establishing an accredited diabetes self management education program within a school of pharmacy

Purpose: The purpose of this poster is to describe the development of an accredited diabetes self- management education program within a school of pharmacy

Methods: In fall 2010, practice faculty involved with diabetes management began developing a diabetes self-management education program.  Initially, the program served patients from a local free clinic to augment pharmacotherapy services that were delivered there.  Accreditation was applied for and granted through the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) in summer 2011.  The program partnered with the local hospital system to take over its American Diabetes Association (ADA)-accredited program and establish a Diabetes Care Center beginning January 2012.  The school of pharmacy is responsible for providing clinicians to see patients and deliver program content, while the hospital system is responsible for billing third party payers for services rendered.  The new program consists of 3 separate tracks with 4 classes each, delivered over a 5 month period, and one free class offering.

Results: The AADE/ADA diabetes self-management program’s enrollment has grown since its inception.  Five patients were initially referred from the free medical clinic to participate in the group education classes.  Currently, the program has 8 patients in track A and is actively enrolling patients in track B; approximately 20 have completed the program.  Approximately 6 new patients are seen each week for an individual appointment and are referred from 4 primary care practices in the area. Two faculty members and a registered nurse see patients individually two days per week and deliver class content up to 3 days per month.  Reimbursement data is not currently available.  In the summer of 2014, the program is expected to begin accepting students for advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

Conclusion: Diabetes self management education programs within schools of pharmacy can be successful and will also offer opportunities for student experiences.