Beyond the Sig: DSMES: Giving a Shot About Diabetes!!

Welcome to Season 2 of the Beyond the Sig podcast brought to you by The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association in collaboration with The Pharmacy Podcast Network. This season is all about diabetes management and each healthcare professional's role in helping patients achieve diabetes control. We will chat with dietitians, pharmacists, and leaders in diabetes management to bring you both fun and educational, evidence-based content. We are so excited to share successes about the DSMES program throughout the country.

Find Out More:

July 2022

Ep 12: Diabetes Management and Education in the Severely Mentally Ill Population

In this episode, we welcome Ryan Ray, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist for Wellpower. As a staff pharmacist, Dr. Ray's responsibility is to collaborate with other mental health staff providers to help his patients manage their diabetes and help understand the long term complications of poor diabetes control. In addition to his staff pharmacy role, he is also integrated into diabetes care and education into WellPower's integrated Primary Care Unit.

Dr. Ray is focused on addressing health inequities he has identified over his years of experience with the SMI population. This work includes creating a new curriculum to teach DSMES to the SMI population and using and advocating for advanced technology to be incorporated into his practice and diabetes practice as a whole. Join us as we discuss the successes and challenges with the SMI population and how to overcome some barriers!

June 2022

Ep 11: Integrating CGM into Diabetes Education

Join us today as we talk all things continuous glucose monitoring with a diabetes care and education specialist, Dr. Diana Isaacs. Learn more about the barriers and challenges associated with using CGM for your patients and strategies to overcome these challenges. In addition, Dr. Diana Isaacs walks us through the newest technologies and innovations in the diabetes management space as diabetes care has transformed drastically in the last decade.

May 2022

Ep 10: Diabetes Self Management and Education for Underserved Populations

On today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Kristen Archibald who is the Chief Operations Officer and Director of Clinical Services for West Towne Pharmacy and Princeton Drug in Johnson City, TN and is also co-owner of Chinook Pharmacy in Lafayette, CO. Dr. Archibald is passionate about community service, disease state education, and patient advocacy, which are perfectly blended in her current role. In today's episode, we learn about the unique challenges and rewards of leading DSMES classes for underserved populations.

April 2022

Ep 9: Getting a New DSMES Service up & Running as a New Practitioner

On today’s episode, Today we are joined by Dr. Danielle Kieck, an Assistant Professor of pharmacy practice at Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy. Dr. Kieck's current practice site is Cook's Pharmacy, an independent community pharmacy in Kingston Pennsylvania. Diabetes is a passion of Dr. Kieck's and DSMES classes were one of the first services she implemented at Cook's Pharmacy. Today we talk about leveraging our students and technicians, DSMES accreditation, our favorite patient success stories, and celebrating the small wins along the way.

March 2022 Podcast

Ep 8: Ambulatory Care Pharmacist Leads DSMES in the Primary Care Setting

On today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Megan Bookser who is an ambulatory care pharmacist in Washington, PA. Dr. Bookser is the Program Manager of Ambulatory Care Pharmacy at PPCP, an independent primary care practice group. She is the Program Coordinator for PPCP’s DSMES service and along with a collaborating dietitian, leads virtual classes every other month. Today we hear about the differences and similarities between starting a DSMES service in the ambulatory care setting verses the community setting.

February 2022 Podcast

Ep 7: The Benefits of ADCES and Obtaining Credentials for Diabetes Education 

Join us as we welcome Dr. Susan Cornell, PharmD, CDCES, FAPhA, FADCES, an associate director of experiential education and professor in the department of pharmacy practice at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy. Dr. Cornell provides insight into ADCES, its benefits, and obtaining credentials as a practicing pharmacist interested in diabetes care. Pharmacists are only a small portion of diabetes educators and obtaining credentialing can provide more opportunities. Listen in to learn about ways you can get involved from an esteemed pharmacist with over 25 years of experience in diabetes management.

January 2022 Podcast

Ep 6: Management of Patients with Diabetes in an Interprofessional Clinic

Please join us as we dive into a conversation with two ambulatory care pharmacists and a dietitian to explore their DSMES and diabetes education at the Zufall Health Clinic in New Jersey. Listen in as they share their interprofessional practice and structure of their curriculum to help various patient populations overcome barriers to diabetes care. 

December 2021 Podcast

Ep 5: Residents Chat on All Things Diabetes, Nutrition, and Physical Activity

In this episode, PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident with the University of Pittsburgh and Rite Aid, Michelle Koverman, shares her experience as a resident integrated in DSMES classes. Michelle has taken the lead role in recruitment of patients and leading classes since beginning her residency in July 2021. She explains the way Rite Aid in Pittsburgh is able to get referrals and shares her patient success stories!

November 2021 Podcast

Ep 4: Student Pharmacist Initiates, Develops, and Leads DSMES Classes

This episode of "Beyond the Sig" is with special guest P2 Wilkes University School of Pharmacy student, Julia Firestine as we focus on the student's role in DSMES classes. Julia was able to initiate and develop the DSMES accreditation as well as lead the discussions on her own. DSMES has helped her develop her clinical knowledge and grow with patients during the duration of the program. Leverage student pharmacists and their passion for patient care to develop your DSMES accreditation and allow them to take the lead!

October 2021 Podcast

Ep 3: Diabetes Self Management Education Patient Empowerment

In this episode, we welcome Jerry Meece, who is a major leader in diabetes management with nearly 25 years of experience. We discuss how diabetes education has evolved from a knowledge-based approach to a patient empowerment-based approach. Jerry also discussed the 10 minute consult that he created and how that can be implemented in your DSMES practice. He provides encouraging advice about how pharmacists can become more involved in diabetes management at a higher level.  

References: PSAD Special Issue PaperTrends in diabetes self-management education

September 2021 Podcast

Ep 2: DSMES: The Role of Pharmacists, residents, and students in DSMES classes

In this month’s episode, we welcome pharmacist, Dr. Nicole Pezzino, who has a myriad of experience with DSMES from student and resident to a nationwide coach. Join us as she shares why diabetes patient management is so important to her and describes her recent successes in her diabetes self -management program as a result of student empowerment and healthcare professional collaborations. Dr. Pezzino received her PharmD degree from the University of Pittsburgh and continued her training as a community pharmacy resident at UNC. She is now an associate professor, the Director of Community Outreach and Innovation, and the PGY1 community pharmacy residency director at Wilkes University. 

August 2021 Podcast

Ep 1: DSMES: Diabetes, Drugs and Diet: Collaborations Between Pharmacists and Dietitians

On our inaugural show we chatted with Lyndi Wieand, Weis Markets In-Store Registered Dietitian about her role in DSMES. Diet is a significant portion of diabetes management that is unfortunately sometimes overlooked. An article recently published in 2018, Diabetes and Diet: A Patient and Dietitian's Perspective, discusses the challenges that Type 2 Diabetes patients face when trying to lose weight, especially while taking insulin therapy.

The dietitian plays a vital role in the management of carbohydrate awareness while concurrently minimizing the risk of hypoglycemia. Because of this, utilizing the dietitian in DSMES classes can have a positive impact on patient's health. Today we discussed the DSMES classes from the dietitian's perspective. We hear about Lyndi's DSMES successes, challenges, and personal stories overcoming patient barriers during her three-year experience.