Diabetes...not just about jelly beans

Diabetes used to be thought of as a disease that children and young people had. And not many young people, just a few unlucky ones. All most of the general public knew about it was that it involved patients giving themselves needles and ensuring a supply of jelly beans was always available.

Nowadays, the majority of Australians are much more aware of diabetes. We know it can affect people of all ages. Most people realise there are basically two different types of diabetes. And if you asked your friends and family if they or anyone they knew have diabetes, you would probably be surprised at how common it is.

Unfortunately, diabetes is Australia's fastest growing chronic disease, with 275 Australians developing diabetes everyday. Currently, nearly one million Aussies are diagnosed as having diabetes, but it is estimated that there are probably another 700,000 people who have not yet been diagnosed. In addition, is is thought that there are 3.2 million Aussies with diabetes or pre-diabetes. It is currently the sixth leading cause of death in Australia.

So when words such as "health epidemic" and "national crisis" are thrown around by the media reporting about diabetes, they're not just being dramatic. Diabetes has a significant cost to the community, not just health-wise, but financially. But it's not all doom and gloom. Up to 60% of cases of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented and there are plenty of ways that people with diabetes can improve the complications associated with the disease.

Two types of diabetes

In Type 1 diabetes, patients' bodies are unable to produce insulin. The role of insulin is to convert sugar into energy which the body can use. Without insulin, toxic chemicals build up in the bloodstream and this can be fatal if left untreated. People with Type 1 diabetes must therefore inject themselves with insulin everyday (usually multiple times a day) as well as religiously test their blood sugar levels to make sure they are not too high or too low. It usually occurs in people under 30 years of age (and more often in children or teenagers), but can start at any stage of life.

Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes tend to appear very suddenly and include significant weight loss, lack of energy, excessive thirst, increased risk of infections and a frequent need to urinate (including during the night). It is important that if you or anyone you know has these or similar symptoms, that they see their family doctor as soon as possible, as it can quickly develop into a medical emergency.

Type 2 diabetes is much more common and affectes 85-90% of diabetics. It is caused by the body being unable to produce enough insulin or failing to respond properly to insulin. It is brought on by a combination of genetic and environmental and lifestyle factors such as being overweight (especially carrying excess weight around the stomach area), having high blood pressure or heart disease, an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise. Most people are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are over 40 years old, but we are now seeing it in teenagers, and even children.

Unlike with Type 1 diabetes, patients with Type 2 diabetes often do not show any obvious symptoms and are usually diagnosed after a health professional assesses them for the above risk factors and then recommends a blood sugar test. If the blood sugar levels are particularly high, patients may display similar symptoms to those experienced by Type 1 diabetics.

Some people with Type 2 diabetes can manage their disease with lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. Most will require medication in the form of tablets and some will need to inject insulin. Starting tablets and insulin early leads to less complications and better outcomes for patients, and is just due to the natural progression of the disease.

Complications of diabetes and how Terry White Chemists Berwick can help

Diabetes is a complex disease and since the high levels of sugar in the bloodstream travel to every cell of the body, it can affect a variety of areas. Our team at Terry White Chemists Berwick have a wealth of expertise and would be happy to help.

Firstly, Terry White Chemists Berwick is an agent for the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The NDSS is administered by Diabetes Australia and is an initiative of the Australian Government. All Australians with diabetes can register for free and are then eligible for diabetes-related products (especially things like blood glucose test strips and needles) at subsidised prices. The NDSS is also a very useful resource for information and support.

We stock a wide range of blood glucose meters to help you monitor and manage your diabetes. Nowadays, these devices are small, simple to use and have lots of features such a large memory to store your results, allowing yourself or your doctor to easily review them. Speak to our pharmacists to determine which one is right for you. And feel confident that if you purchase your blood glucose meter from us and then have any trouble with it, bring it into the pharmacy and if we can't fix it, we'll contact the manufacturer to try and sort it out for you. Of course, we also stock blood glucose strips to use in the machines.

Many people with Type 2 diabetes also have high blood pressure, (known as hypertension). Come in for a free blood pressure check or speak to us about purchasing your own blood pressure monitor. Click here for more information on both blood glucose meters and blood pressure machines.

Being diagnosed with diabetes is definitely an extra good reason to give up smoking. At Terry White Chemists Berwick, we can help you kick the habit for good with sensible advice and a range of products to make it a little bit easier for you.

People with diabetes are more prone to developing eye problems and should have their eyes checked at least every two years. Speak to your doctor if you notice any changes to vision (such as blurred or distorted vision), problems with balance, reading, watching television and recognising people, difficulty seeing at night or becoming more sensitive to sunlight. If your optometrist diagnoses you with a mild short or long-sightedness, you may find "Readers" glasses a cost-effective solution. Come in and give them a try.

Diabetes can damage the blood and nerve supply to your feet so it is important to take good care of your feet everyday and to have them regularly checked by your doctor or a podiatrist. You should look out for signs of tingling or numbness, changes in colour of your feet (especially a blue tinge) , pain or cramping, cuts or calluses or corns and get them checked out as soon as possible. At Terry White Chemists Berwick, we have a large range of footcare products such as nail clippers and moisturisers. We sell the Circulation Booster which may help relieve aches, pains and swelling. Pop in for a free trial. We are also authorised sellers of of Homy Ped shoes, including their Homy Ped Diabetes range, specially designed to assist blood supply and minimise stress on feet.

People with diabetes may find that wounds, particularly on areas such as the feet, can quickly develop into something more serious or may take a long time to heal. This is due to diabetes affecting the blood supply. We stock a large range of wound care products and can help assess and dress the wound for you.

Taking control of diabetes

Know that if you or someone you know has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, you are not alone. There are so many resources available which can help you to take control and manage this condition and prevent it from overtaking your life.

A great place to start is by paying a visit to our pharmacists and staff at Terry White Chemists Berwick. We deal with diabetes every single day and can help with professional advice and resources such as blood glucose meters, medications and additional supplies as mentioned above. We are an accredited NDSS agent. We also have free Self Care Cards on both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes for you to take home and read. And don't forget, we also make sure we are always in stock of the best jelly beans in the world, Glucojels.

References and further reading

• Diabetes Type 1 Self Care Card, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, published February 2011
• Diabetes Type 2 Self Care Card, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, published February 2011
• Diabetes Fact Sheet - Better Health Channel, published October 2011 (accessed 10 November 2011)
• Diabetes Australia website
• The NDSS (National Diabetes Service Scheme) website

Generic medicines - are they really the same?

When you go to your Terry White Chemists Berwick or your local pharmacy to get a prescription dispensed, you may be asked whether you would prefer the generic medicine. You may be someone who says yes. You may be part of the community who prefers to stick to the brand prescribed by your doctor. Or you may be in the group that doesn't really understand what generics are all about so say no, just to be safe.

Hopefully, this post will clear up some of the confusion.

Active ingredients VS brand names

Medicines are marketed under two different names - the brand name and the active ingredient name. The active ingredient name is the chemical compound that actually makes it work. For example, paracetamol is an active ingredient name, but Panadol is a brand name. In Australia (and generally around the world), the active ingredient is always known by the same name. So you could be in a pharmacy in England and ask for paracetamol and still get the same thing (although for some reason, paracetamol is known as acetaminophen in the USA!).

There may be, however, many different brand names for the same active ingredient, just like there are many different brands of milk in the supermarket fridge. Companies use different brands as part of their marketing strategy and to try and make it easier for you to remember their product. Each brand will be produced by a different company, but if you look at the packaging, they will all tell you the active ingredient and the dose or amount inside the medication.

So why are there so many different brands?

Basically, medications are invented and developed by pharmaceutical companies. They spend many years on research and development and invest literally millions of dollars to invent each new medication. Then they have to put the medicine through a stringent clinical trials process, which means giving the medicine to volunteer patients. This is not only to show that their medicine works, but also to make sure it is safe.

Pharmaceutical companies are granted a patent on new medications. This patent means that for a number of years, no other company is allowed to manufacture and sell that medication with that particular active ingredient. During this time, only the one original brand is available and this allows the pharmaceutical company to recoup back some of the money spent inventing, researching and developing the medication. This encourages pharmaceutical companies to continue to try and invent new medications.

Once the patent expires, however, other companies can develop their own version of the medication, called generics. These generic brands will have the same active ingredient as the original brand, but will be marketed under a different brand name with different packaging.

So what's the difference?

You can feel confident that if the pharmacist offers you a generic brand of medication, it will have the exact same active ingredient in the exact same dose as the original brand. So for most people, the only difference will be that you can save a few dollars at the cash register (this differs from medication to medication, but often the original brands will have a slight additional cost to them). Since the active ingredient is the same, it will work the same way in your body as the original.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't use a generic medication?
If you have any allergies or intolerances, it's important to ask your pharmacist about the inactive ingredients inside your medication. These may be things like preservatives or gluten which can differ from brand to brand, despite the active ingredient being the same.

Some people also like to stick to the same brand to avoid confusion. You don't want to accidentally take two different brands of the same medication because you didn't realise they were the same. If you do decide to use generic medications, your pharmacist can help make sure you understand about the active ingredients and also ensure that you stick to the same generic brand to make things easier.

Your doctor may also prefer that you stick to the one brand and you can ask them to discuss this with you.

Finally...
So you should rest assured that when our pharmacists at Terry White Chemists Berwick offer you a generic brand medication, it will have the same ingredient, in the same dose, and will work the same way as your original medication. Get to know your medications and the active ingredients and you may just be able to save a little money on the way. And make sure you ask your pharmacists if you have any questions related to your medicines - it's what we are there for.

References and further reading

• NPS website