The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy APhA–ASP Chapter uses the power of social media to promote World Diabetes Day each year.
By Jeong (Julia) Heo
Since 2016, the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy APhA–ASP Chapter has set up a photo booth in the atrium of our school on World Diabetes Day (November 14) along with fun props that go with the theme. Acknowledging how powerful social media is in our generation, we wanted to use it as a platform to reach an even bigger population. Many people around the world use social media every day, and its power cannot be denied. Therefore, we wanted to encourage people to dedicate one of their posts on November 14 to promote diabetes awareness.
As a result of hosting this fun social media campaign each year, we have attracted not only student pharmacist participants, but also professors, faculty members, and dental students. As an incentive to participate, we raffle off a prize each year (a basket of healthy snacks was this year’s prize). To enter the raffle, participants simply have to upload their picture at our photo booth with a caption stating a fact about diabetes and tag @pittaphaasp before the end of World Diabetes Day. This incentive has been very effective, with our chapter reaching at least 1,000 people each year about diabetes through the power of social media!
Emphasis on families
Diabetes affects many people and is one of the most common chronic disease states we will encounter as future pharmacists. As our professor would say, “Well-controlled diabetes is the leading cause of nothing.” Therefore, we want to emphasize the importance of promoting awareness of this chronic disease through student pharmacists helping with earlier detections and proper management. This year, student pharmacists shared in their posts facts about detecting diabetes early, preventing type 2 diabetes, and caring for family members with diabetes. We hope that we helped spread awareness of diabetes significant impact on the family and the valuable role the family has in managing diabetes. We also hope that patients and family members of patients with diabetes were encouraged by the campaign.
Start your own tradition
I want to encourage all APhA–ASP Chapters to start this tradition on World Diabetes Day as well. The event does not require much: just an area or backdrop for the photo booth, a camera (cell phones work, too), and fun props! Some of our props include the blue diabetes ring, an Instagram frame, a globe, and as a special addition for this year’s theme, labels and items that represent members of a family. Fun props are a great way catch people’s attention.
We also made sure to hold our photo booth during lunch break, which is 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm for the entire pharmacy school. With this careful planning, we were able to attract many people as they were relaxing outside of class.
I invite you to join us in participating in the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign and help reach out to patients globally through the power of social media.