Diabetes risk assessment now on offer locally

Boots Ireland has teamed up with Diabetes Ireland to offer in-store Type 2 diabetes risk assessments and pharmacists will provide personalised advice on how people can take control of their health and manage their Type 2 diabetes risk. Those found to be at high risk will be referred to their GP to have a diagnostic test.

With the addition of the new service, Boots Ireland is now able to offer day to day access to pharmacist advice on various aspects of diabetes management, from reducing a person’s chances of developing diabetes to helping people with diabetes to understand their medication.

Boots Ireland knows how important it is to have a convenient first port of call within the community for those looking for face to face advice and support on how to reduce the risk of long-term conditions like diabetes.

The service will aim to help those Irish people at risk of developing the condition to understand if they are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and to take positive steps to lower their chances of developing it in the future.

Kieran O’Leary, Diabetes Ireland, said: “I would encourage customers to avail of the opportunity to assess their risk and where necessary take positive action to help prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Working with Boots Ireland, Diabetes Ireland is hoping to prevent thousands of people from developing Type 2 diabetes which will in turn improve the health of the nation.”

The new Diabetes Risk Assessment has been developed to assess a person’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years. Patients answer seven questions related to age, gender, waist circumference, BMI, ethnic background, blood pressure and family history. It uses a points system to identity if a person is at low, increased, moderate, or high risk of developing diabetes. Based on this score, appropriate advice is provided by Boots pharmacists in the form of lifestyle changes and, if necessary, a GP referral.

Speaking at the launch of the Boots Diabetes Risk Assessment, Mary Rose Burke, Director of Pharmacy, Boots Ireland, said: “Our customers come to our pharmacy teams for information and advice on how they can make positive changes to their health. This new service meets those needs by raising awareness of the risk factors of Type 2 diabetes and helping not only to identify people who may develop diabetes in the future but, importantly, give them the right support and advice to manage any potential risk.

“Working with Diabetes Ireland, we want to ensure that Irish people are informed and confident about reducing their diabetes risk.

“The Diabetes Risk Assessment is simple and free and is one of the easiest things you can do today to take ownership of your health.”