Experts warn that reducing glucose measurement systems will harm the health of the patient and increase costs

-Advocate the education diabetológica, compliance with the guidelines and accessibility to measurement systems adapted to each patient

– are necessary to establish appropriate mechanisms to enable technological innovations that demonstrate a benefit for the patient to become accessible

– consider that expert in pathology professionals should be consulted in the decision-making of health administration and a patients who suffer from

Barcelona, July of 2011- the benefits of self-monitoring of blood capillary glucose in the blood in patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) type 1 and 2 are an indispensable complement to better understand this disease and prevent or delay its costly complications. So a large group of health professionals has said it gave quotes this week at an event organized by the Association of Diabétics of Catalunya (ADC), the official Association of pharmacists of Barcelona.

The ADC, concerned about the quality of the diabetic patient health care in your community, wanted to assess the current situation of care given to people with diabetes in a time of economic crisis, set points of improvement, and set the foundations for future cooperation and coordination between all the actors involved.

During the meeting, attended by prominent professionals that care for diabetic patients, pharmacists, representatives of scientific societies and Consell Assessor on Catalunya and many patients Diabetes is stressed that to treat the disease and prevent or delay the progression of complications associated with this diseaseessential to autoanalizarse is properly blood glucose levels and, on the basis of the results obtained, the patients may be able to make the necessary changes in their treatment (self-control). For this reason, capillary blood sugar self-analysis and a structured therapeutic education become essential in their lives. This recommendation was already collected Pràctica clinic guide l ’ Institut Català de la Salut, published in 2002 and in the the society Spanish of Diabetes (thirst).

More than 40% of the secondary complications of diabetes are preventable with adequate control of the levels glucémicos ”, said the researcher, and former Minister of health, Dr. Bernat Soria Escoms, who recalled that now, our health system takes a hold in prevention ”.

According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in Spain there are more than 4 million diabetics and global forecasts are that the number of affected could double over the next 20 years. In Catalonia, diabetes may directly affect more than 400,000 people.

The experts warned that any initiative that involves a restriction of educational diabetológica in the number of strips laid down by the professional that attends to the patient or constrain the freedom of choice of the measuring system, it would result in a loss of adherence to treatment, with consequent damage to the health of the patient and higher future costs.

Uniformity in compliance with guidelines and coordination between professionals

Guides on the self-monitoring of blood glucose in capillary blood (GATS) and the optimal frequency of realization depending on the type of diabetes and treatment followed by each patient are currently available. According to Montserrat Soley, Chairman of the ADC, unfortunately has increased the number of cases where patients are directed to the Association explaining that them has been the number of prescribed strips without following the criteria agreed upon and based on scientific evidence, so it can be concluded that the treatment of all patients Catalan uniformity of criteria is not dealing with and promoting the equal conditions and opportunities for the total population ”.

Dr. Josep María Pou, President of the Consell Assessor on Diabetes in Catalonia, reported several cases occurred recently in the hospital in which some patients due to lack of sufficient test strips were no longer grip having to be entered of urgency by a metabolic decompensation.

In recent months, they have detected cases where in some health centres prescribed insulin has been changed to several patients without knowledge by the specialist. In this sense, all the experts emphasized that greater coordination between specialists and doctors of primary is essential for the proper treatment of the disease.

Dr. Ignacio Conget claimed in the decision-making process of the sanitary Administration will consult experts in pathology and patients who suffer from. Should not be forgotten that the patient is the center of the health system ”, said.

Access to new technologies and the expendable equipment

While diabetes is a chronic disease and therefore does not have a cure applicable to everyone, those affected continue to rely on the technology.

In recent decades, there have been many technical advances, both in treatment and control of diabetes so is necessary to establish appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the economic constraints due to the current crisis situation will not affect access to technological innovations that demonstrate a benefit for the patient ”explained.

Also, during the day, the experts pointed out that pharmacists can be an important player to achieve greater adherence to treatment and control of diabetes, which would result in a reduction of costs and the consequent improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness.