JEDDAH — Al-Nahdi Medical Company in association with the Boston-based Joslin Diabetes Center, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, organized recently a workshop on diabetes care. More than 50 people, including delegates from the Ministry of Health, endocrinologists, professors, researchers, pharmacists, diabetes educators and business leaders, participated in the workshop, titled “The Role of the Community Pharmacy in Diabetes Care,” at Park Hyatt hotel here. The workshop examined the reality of diabetes in the Kingdom and the possibility of further improving conditions for patients. Participants also discussed the achievements made in the fight against diabetes in the Kingdom, and the challenges facing the sector. The workshop concluded with the signing of an agreement between Nahdi Medical Company and Joslin Diabetes Center to establish a partnership that will work on eliminating diabetes in the Kingdom in every way possible. This new initiative embodies the vision of Nahdi Medical Company to be a pioneer in helping communities to a healthier life, and it is expected that the partnership with Joslin Diabetes Center will contribute in promoting the company's efforts to provide the best products and services that will help improve the overall health of the communities they operate in, and preserve the quality of services offered to the community. “Based on initial studies and research we discovered that diabetes is the most widespread chronic disease in Saudi society, and I think we have an opportunity to be part of an integrated health system, utilizing our extensive network, which includes 600 pharmacies throughout the Kingdom, and our qualified staff of pharmacists and their assistants who serve nearly 55 million customers at a national level,” said Dr. Bandar T. Hamooh, CEO of Al-Nahdi Medical Company. For his part, Hosam A. Alqurashi, Senior Director of Marketing and External Relations at Al-Nahdi Medical Company, pointed out that the workshop aimed to strengthen ties of cooperation between the company, the Ministry of Health, diabetes centers, doctors, researchers and university professors in the Kingdom to build an effective partnership between parties interested in preventing diabetes, and provide integrated care for diabetics that includes detection, education and follow-up treatment. “The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and ideas related to diabetes, as they discussed the role expected to be played by community pharmacies to support and care for people with diabetes and those who are at risk in KSA,” Alqurashi added. He also clarified that the partnership agreement will help implement the recommendations that emerged from the workshop with the support and assistance from the Ministry of Health, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the Saudi Diabetic Association and other relevant institutions. Summarizing the outcome of the workshop, the delegates pointed out that Saudi Arabia has a large number of leading physicians and researchers and has trained many diabetes educators. As a result there have been many successes and great accomplishments to advance the care of people with diabetes and ensure the availability of medication for diabetes sufferers. Other accomplishments include raising awareness and recognizing that diabetes is a major and growing problem, and growth in building infrastructure, specifically the number of diabetes centers throughout region. In addition, the Kingdom has developed clinical standards for diabetes care and national efforts in diabetes data collection for a national registry are in progress. On the negative side, the delegates said there are gaps and challenges facing the region. The prevalence of diabetes continues to grow and there are inadequate coordination and communication among stakeholders. There are limited financial and human resources and doctors are pressed for time, while patients want more and quicker access to doctor appointments. Furthermore, there is a lack of patients' understanding, information and resources, and while changing patient behavior and sustaining change is difficult, the image, perception and trust of pharmacists need to be improved, which can be helped by more media awareness. The delegates also noted that there are variations in needs and lifestyles of people living in different regions and pointed out that there are environmental barriers such as lack of food labeling, lack of regulations at restaurants, and lack of walking paths and exercise opportunities particularly at schools and for women. The delegates identified future roles that community pharmacists can play to support stakeholders including the community and consumers in general, people with diabetes and at risk of diabetes, doctors and health care professionals. Specifically, pharmacists can offer support in prevention, including prevention of complications, screening and monitoring, and patient education and counseling supported by consistent messages and reinforcement. Community pharmacists could also become a referral source for physicians, especially in early detections, and should establish collaborative relationships with physicians. It was stressed that there is a need to think creatively and regionally to promote diabetes wellness and provide patient empowerment and advocacy. In conclusion, Dr. Hamooh stated: “We believe that we can act on these opportunities by implementing a pilot program at pharmacies, as well as, most importantly, continuing the collaborative partnerships among participants in the workshop.” — SG
