APhA-ASP Operation Diabetes

Operation Diabetes is brought to APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) through a collaboration with Health Mart and McKesson. Operation Diabetes seeks to increase overall awareness of diabetes and the role pharmacists play in prevention and managing the effects of diabetes. Conducting blood glucose screenings and educating the public on the risk factors for diabetes, the importance of medication compliance, and tight control on blood glucose student pharmacists can help individuals across the nation improve their quality of life.

As student pharmacists and future health care providers, you demonstrate how the profession of pharmacy serves as an excellent resource in preventing the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes. You have the opportunity to take your knowledge outside of the classroom and make a difference for the community. It could be as simple as writing a letter to the editor of a local paper highlighting the impact of diabetes education by pharmacists. It could be as large as conducting blood glucose screenings and foot exams at a major health fair. It all starts with one idea, one chapter, and one community.

Operation Diabetes National Liaison: Annaston Young (Asyoung1@gmail.lipscomb.edu)

Program Results

Operation Diabetes was launched as an official APhA-ASP National Patient Care project in 2001. Since that time, over 700,000 individuals have been screened for abnormal blood glucose levels. In 2022-2023 alone students had the following results:

• 121 chapters participated
• 6,881 student pharmacists participated
• 526 faculty and staff members participated
• 350 pharmacy practitioners participated
• 726 Operation Diabetes events conducted
• 25,435 patients screened
• 1,927 patients referred to their primary care provider
• 15,849 patients received health and wellness services
• 2,671,827 individuals reached through public relations initiatives

Online Resources

• American Diabetes Association
• Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists
• APhA Certificate Training Program: The Pharmacist and Patient-Centered Diabetes Care
• Roles of the Community Pharmacists in Diabetes Management (webinar recording)
• APhA Diabetes Resources
• CDC Diabetes Fact Sheets and Toolkits (Also Available in Spanish)
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: Type 1 Diabetes
• Beyond Type 1
• CDC Prediabetes Risk Assessment (Printable Versions Available)

Operation Diabetes Award Report & Recognition

APhA-ASP recognizes each chapter that implements an Operation Diabetes program in their community. One Chapter from each of the eight APhA-ASP regions are recognized during Midyear Regional Meetings. In addition, the eight regional winners, along with one national winner, and two national runners-up are recognized during the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition at the APhA-ASP Opening General Session and in Student Pharmacist magazine.