Action Guide for Pharmacists

About This Guide

Who Should Use This Guide?

This guide is designed to help pharmacists and members of the pharmacy workforce—including pharmacy technicians, residents, and students—reach people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes who could benefit from the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program (LCP). You will learn how the National DPP, which is led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can be applied in the pharmacy setting to maximize the unique skills and abilities of the pharmacy workforce.

How Should This Guide Be Used?

The purpose of this guide is to help pharmacists prevent new cases of type 2 diabetes among patients at high risk by helping to expand the reach of the National DPP. It does not provide a comprehensive overview of the program, but this information is available on CDC’s National DPP website. Instead, this guide outlines ways that pharmacies can:

• Raise awareness of prediabetes and the National DPP among their patients at risk.
• Screen and test for prediabetes and refer or enroll people with prediabetes in a National DPP LCP delivered by an organization recognized by CDC.
• Deliver the National DPP LCP.

This guide also provides tips, case studies of pharmacies involved in the National DPP, and links to additional resources. Key terms and phrases related to the program are highlighted in bold text in the text throughout and defined in the glossary.

Acknowledgments This guide was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Diabetes Translation in collaboration with pharmacists and pharmacy partners across the nation. Contributors to the development and review of this guide include the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, National Association of Chain Drug Stores – Foundation, National Community Pharmacists Association, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, and Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network.