Pharmacists Empower Patients to Improve Insulin Management

For many people newly diagnosed with diabetes, the moment they’re handed a prescription for insulin or a blood glucose meter is where the confusion begins—not where it ends. They may leave their physician's office with a diagnosis and a treatment plan but little understanding of how to inject, when to test, or what the numbers on the meter really mean. In a health care system strained by time limits and fragmented care, pharmacists often step into that gap.

In this interview, Jennifer Griffin, PharmD, MS, clinical pharmacist at Harps Food Stores Inc, discusses how pharmacists are uniquely positioned on the front lines of diabetes care, especially in the community setting. With more than 38 million Americans living with diabetes and millions using insulin, the stakes are high, as poor understanding of insulin can lead to dangerous hypoglycemia, uncontrolled hyperglycemia, emergency department visits, and long-term complications. Griffin notes that it’s still common for patients to start insulin therapy or routine blood glucose monitoring with almost no practical education.

From her perspective, one of the pharmacist’s most important roles on the care team is education—for both patients and other clinicians. That can mean opening a blood glucose meter box at the counter and walking a patient through each step, explaining injection technique, talking through hypoglycemia warning signs, or flagging dosing concerns to prescribers. Pharmacists, she explains, are often the first to hear about problems like recurring low blood sugar or lumps at injection sites, simply because they see patients more frequently than most other clinicians.

Griffin also emphasizes that safe, effective insulin management must account for age, cognitive and physical abilities, cost and insurance coverage, and patient preference. She argues that when pharmacists simplify regimens, provide clear self-titration guidance, and frame insulin as powerful yet manageable—rather than frightening—patients become more confident, more adherent, and more engaged in controlling their diabetes.

"Safety is, of course, number one, and patients often do what they want to do," Griffin said. "They may say that because 1 tablet works great, 2 will work even better, or because they're feeling good, they aren't going to take their cholesterol medication, and the same goes for insulin therapy."