If you are diagnosed with diabetes, it means your body cannot properly metabolize glucose. There are different types of diabetes, and each has a different cause. However, they all have a common problem which is having high levels of glucose in the bloodstream.

When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, the main focus is to prevent complications. Medications for diabetes work to reduce the level of glucose in the bloodstream; they either supply more insulin to the system or help the body to better respond to insulin that is already present.

Common Types of Diabetes

• Type 1 Diabetes

This is the type of diabetes where the body cannot produce a sufficient amount of insulin required to metabolize glucose. In this case, the pancreatic cells responsible for the production of insulin are heavily affected or destroyed, hence, their inability to produce insulin.

• Type 2 Diabetes

This is the type of diabetes where the body cells don’t respond normally to insulin. Statistics have shown that more than 50% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It’s most common in adults and old people. This type of diabetes is also known as insulin-resistant diabetes.

• Prediabetes

This is a stage before type 2 diabetes. In this case, the patient will have a high blood glucose level but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

• Gestational Diabetes

This type of diabetes occurs in some pregnant women. It’s usually diagnosed during pregnancy and often goes away after delivery. Women that were previously diagnosed with diabetes have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in their life.

There are other less common types of diabetes.

Approved Online Treatment Options for Diabetics

There are over 50 different approved diabetes medications you can buy online. Allow your doctor to decide which medication is best for you. Some are available as injectable medications, such as Ozempic. Ozempic belongs to the family called Incretin mimetics. You can buy Ozempic online from any accredited E-pharmacy.

• Insulin Injection

This is the most common medication used for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Patients can self-inject insulin under the skin, or the doctor can inject them directly into the blood. Insulin is also available as a powder that can be inhaled. There are different types of insulin. They include Rapid-acting injections like Humalog and Novolog; Short-acting injections like Humulin R and Novolin R; Intermediate-acting injections like Humulin N and Novolin N; and Long-acting injections like Toujeo and Tresiba.

• Amylin analogs

Amylin analogs such as pramlintide mimic the activity of amylin. Amylin is a hormone that plays a vital role in glucose regulation.

• Sulfonylureas

These drugs help lower blood glucose levels by stimulating the pancreas to release more insulin. They are available both as first-generation and second-generation. However, the downside of Sulfonylureas is weight gain. Examples include glyburide, glipizide, and glimepiride.

• Biguanides

These drugs help boost the effect of insulin, thereby causing increased uptake of blood glucose into the cells. They also help reduce the level at which the liver releases glucose into the blood. Examples of Biguanides include Metformin.

• Thiazolidinediones

They are used to manage insulin-resistant. They work to reduce the resistance of tissue effect of insulin. Thiazolidinediones have been associated with serious side effects. Patients suffering from heart failure must not use these medications. Example include Pioglitazone (Actos) and Rosiglitazone (Avandia)

• DPP-4 Inhibitors

These medications also stimulate the pancreatic cells to release more insulin after meals. Examples include Linagliptin (Tradjenta), Alogliptin (Nesina), and Saxagliptin (Onglyza). They also reduce the level at which the liver release glucose.

• Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2)

SGLT2 inhibitors work by causing the body to expel more glucose from the bloodstream into the urine. SGLT2 inhibitors cause a modest weight loss. Examples include canagliflozin and ertugliflozin.

• Bile acid sequestrants

These medications lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Examples include colesevelam (Welchol) and colestipol (Colestid).

Conclusion

Many oral diabetes management drugs can be used together with insulin to achieve higher glucose control. Some of the above-listed medications are available as a combination of two medicines in one pill. It is advised you discuss your health condition with your healthcare provider and allow them to prescribe the right medication for you.

Many people need prescription drugs – as lifesaving medications – to survive. One-third of Canada’s population finds it difficult to afford their medications. Even with insurance, medications can be pricey; and the price may feel extremely higher without insurance. It’s a known fact that prescription medications are very expensive, and one could be tempted to skimp on medications. But please don’t!

Here are a few tips to help you save on prescription supplies.

Compare prices

Whenever you intend to go shopping, you often compare the cost from different stores before making a purchase. Why should your medication supplies be any different?

Even though we all need prescription drugs at one point in our lifetime, little do we know that the cost for drugs may vary between pharmaceutical stores. You may consider comparing drug prices from legit online vendors like Canada Drugs, Big box retailers, or even the local pharmacies in your neighbourhood. This could help you save some dollars – especially when you have a critical health condition – for a recurring prescription.

Shop online

Pharmacies that sell drugs online often offer a more competitive price for prescription drugs. You can compare the price of the same medication from different accredited online pharmacies. Compare the price of your drug supplies from online pharmacies that hold VIPPS certification. Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) is a form of digital verification that shows that an online pharmacy upholds laws and standards. You are guaranteed high-quality prescription drugs from these sites.

Consider a 90-day supply

This is particularly important for patients with critical conditions who are placed on routine medications. Most pharmacies offer a 90-day drugs supply for a lower copay. This could help you save significantly – in most cases, up to 30% of the cost of your medication.

Switch to Generics

Generic drugs contain the same concentration of active ingredients as brand-name drugs. Generic medications are approved safe and effective by the FDA. Generic drugs are the same as brand-name drugs but cost less, perhaps, because of the cost of research involved in production.

Check out discount programs

If you are finding it difficult to pay for the prescription drugs you need, now is the time you consider some of these discount programs. These programs will help cut the cost of your medications. Some states have a special insurance program for children and aged people over 65 years. These discount programs will help you pay for your medicines.

Signup for home delivery services

You may consider signing up for home delivery to get the prescription medications you take on a regular basis. It’s safe, convenient, and could help reduce costs. Some pharmacies offer free home delivery services to customers who order medications frequently.

Conclusion

Prescription drugs are costly – no doubt about it. However, people may be able to save some dollars by following certain strategies – whether they have insurance or not. Several strategies could help you save money on your medication supplies. These include shopping online, switching to generic drugs, copay, and seeking financial assistance. Comparing prices between different pharmacies could also help.

The internet has brought about changes to the way we do things. The way we live is different, the way we work is different, the way we buy drugs too is also different.

It’s safe to say that the internet has brought with it, a totally different perspective to how regular tasks are carried out and how needs are satisfied, one of which is affected by the introduction of the online pharmacy.

With the recent increase in the number of people looking for a Canadian pharmacy  on the internet, you might be tempted, just as many other people surfing the web, to ask the question, “are online pharmacies safe?”

Highlighting The Safety Levels Of Online Pharmacies

It is reassuring to learn that there are organizations put in place to ensure the guidelines and regulations of any online Canadian pharmacy operation are followed to the letter. This goes a long way to guarantee the safety of patients and customers making use of these services.

These bodies include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has been credited with tracking down illicit and illegitimate drug dealings on the web. Think of them as the CIA for drugs. This body has offered great help to customers of online pharmacies by:

• Tracking sites that sell illegal, harmful drugs to unsuspecting customers
• Coming up with insights and guides to the search of competent online pharmacies such as Canadian pharmacy
• Providing tips for the effective recognition of fake sites

Are There Other Ways To Help Ensure A Safe Dealing With Online Pharmacies?

In spite of the various measures put in place to prevent individuals from falling into the traps of fake online pharmacies, certain measures should be applied on a personal level to further improve your security when visiting online pharmacies.

3 Steps To A Secure Online Pharmacy Experience

1. Limit the information provided

For example, you should avoid dropping personal information online. Remember that you’re there to purchase some health care products and drugs, not get a second diagnosis; therefore, there’s no need to spill every juicy bit of your life to random vendors on the net.

2. Ensure Your Doctor’s Prescription Is Required

If you’ve noticed, every visit to the pharmacy store for the purchase of drugs always requires you to hand over the doctor’s prescription to the pharmacist. The same should be applied to any dealings with an online pharmacy.

This implies that the prescriptions made by your doctor should serve as the focus of your visit to the pharmacy. Any transaction made without the request of your doctor’s prescription is a red flag blaring in your face.

3. Check For A Physical Address

Every legit online pharmacy should be the offshoot of an already existing physical store. So, ensuring the presence of a physical address is important in the course of purchasing the services of online stores.

Conclusion

If we’re to come to a verdict on the safety of online pharmacies in one sentence, it’ll look like this: Online pharmacies are safe for customer service as long as the right protocols and guidelines are followed through. What’s your verdict?

Improper adherence to medication and poor medication management due to patient oversight can impact a patient’s condition. Based on the findings by the CDC, a good percentage of older patients (65 years or older) take more than five prescription drugs which are probably prescribed by multiple doctors.

This can make it hard to maintain proper adherence to taking medication. Thus, leading to issues like; disease complications, unnecessary medication changes, reduced quality of life, and increased medical costs. To avoid these oversight-related issues, experts recommend getting your pharmacist involved in your medication management.

What Exactly is Medication Management?

This is a process whereby your pharmacy and pharmacist oversee the medications prescribed for you by your doctor to ensure proper adherence and achieving a good therapeutic outcome/improved quality of life.

The Medication Management Process and the Role of Your Pharmacist

• Put a pharmacist in charge of your medication management: by putting a pharmacist in charge of your medication management, you can ensure that you are getting an in-depth education and advice from a well-qualified professional equipped with knowledge about your medication.
• Access to medication: apart from being qualified to give you information on your medication, your pharmacist can also ensure that you have access to that medication by evaluating your ability to pay for it or by helping you explore alternative medications or payment plans.
• Leveraging technology for better medication management- gone are the days when pharmacists are limited to writing patient information on labels and books. Thanks to technology, most pharmacies can now maintain a database of patient information and fill out prescriptions online.

This is also a benefit for you as a patient because, with your patient database, your pharmacist can identify and do a follow-up when you don’t properly adhere to taking and filling out your medications.

In order for patients to have quicker and easier access to their drugs, some pharmacies coordinate with patient doctors and automate patient prescriptions. Online pharmacies like Canada Drugs even have a login portal for their clients to easily refill their prescriptions from the comfort of their own homes.

• Ensure medication adherence: your pharmacist can also help you with taking your medication as it is prescribed. For example, by reviewing how you take each medication, they may suggest medication changes or dosage changes. Sometimes your pharmacist might even recommend additional therapies that can help improve your adherence to taking your medications.
• Brown-bag review: this is a way pharmacists actively help in providing effective healthcare. The brown-bag review is essentially a way for pharmacists to review medication history, especially for patients who take multiple medications. In this process, everything from prescription drugs to OTC drugs and supplements is tossed into a paper bag and taken to the pharmacist for a review. This should be done on a yearly basis.

Conclusion:

Proper medication management is crucial to improving health conditions and quality of life. This is why you should enlist the help of your pharmacist to conduct a comprehensive review of your full medication regimen to ensure their effectiveness and how well they work together. This will ensure that not only is your medication being managed properly, but it is also safe for you.