PHARMACY: DIABETES
Diabetes Goes Digital Innovative technologies are revolutionizing diabetes care and monitoring By Debby Garbato
In January 1922, a Canadian doctor and two scientists successfully administered insulin to diabetics for the first time, halting progress of a disease that had been a sure death sentence. Since then, Type 1 diabetes treatment and monitoring have come a long way, thanks largely to better insulin formulations and blood glucose monitoring. But only in recent years has technology allowed diabetes patients to more closely and continuously track and compare glucose levels and other information, and to inject insulin more comfortably. Bluetooth-enabled smart pens, for one, are experiencing widespread adoption. Connected to a smart phone app, they automatically upload insulin timing and dosage information. They can interface with continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, which garner real time glucose level data. In addition, diabetes patients are benefitting from CGM devices implanted under the skin. These provide continuous glucose readings and send alarms if levels become unsafe. Needles have become more sophisticated as well, with shorter, thinner varieties affording more comfortable injections. “People with diabetes are increasingly likely to use a growing number of connected devices,” said Janice MacLeod, head of clinical advocacy, global professional affairs and clinical
education at Medtronic Diabetes. “Diabetes is a chronic, largely self-managed condition. Devices and apps collect patientgenerated data that can be shared with the care team. This opens the door to remote monitoring and more frequent, brief — but relevant — data-driven continuous care models.” Technology has made products more palatable and easier to use, encouraging people to more closely follow treatment regimens. “It’s not that we don’t have a great group of medications and devices; it’s how do we get people to use them as prescribed?” said Francine Kaufman, chief medical officer at Senseonics. “Making innovations easier to use, less painful or with fewer side effects drives adherence, generating better outcomes.”
Convenient Alternative This was the initial strategy behind insulin pens. They were introduced in 1986 as a more comfortable, discreet, accurate and convenient syringe alternative. Initially, they were not monitoring devices. Then in 2007, “smart” memory-enabled pens were introduced, followed by smart “connected” pens in 2017. In 2020, Medtronic launched the first integrated smart pen by combining its Bluetooth-enabled InPen with Guardian Connect CGM data.
(From left to right): Senseonic’s Eversense Continuous Glucose Monitoring System provides continuous glucose monitoring for 90 days and Medtronic’s integrated smart pen features Bluetooth-enabled InPen with Guardian Connect CGM data.
56
February 2022 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
056-060_DSN_Pharmacy_0222_NM_MM_HE.indd 56
1/31/22 4:54 PM
