Pharmacists Help Tailor CGM Alerts to Minimize Patient Alert Fatigue | PPA Annual Conference

The landscape of type 2 diabetes care shifted dramatically in recent years, and pharmacists are increasingly at the center of that change. Once viewed primarily as blood sugar–lowering agents, newer classes of medications—particularly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors—are now recognized for their powerful benefits beyond glycemic control. Emerging evidence has shown that these drugs can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, slow the progression of chronic kidney disease, and support weight loss, reshaping treatment guidelines and redefining what optimal diabetes management looks like.

At the same time, diabetes technology has undergone its own transformation. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), once reserved for a subset of highly engaged patients, are becoming more common in everyday practice. These devices generate a constant stream of real-time data, offering patients and clinicians a far more nuanced picture of glucose control than traditional finger-stick meters ever could. Yet that influx of information brings its own challenges, with patients quickly becoming overwhelmed by alerts, a phenomenon known as alert fatigue, which can blunt the impact of even the most sophisticated tools.

Caught at the intersection of these clinical and technological advances are pharmacists, who are often the most accessible health care professionals for people living with diabetes. They are tasked not only with dispensing medications but also with explaining complex evidence, addressing fears around injections and cost, and helping patients integrate lifestyle changes alongside pharmacologic therapy.

In this interview, Ashley Firm, PharmD, director of student and alumni engagement, director of student affairs for the physician assistant studies hybrid program, and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, and Catherine Bourg Rebitch, PharmD, BCACP, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, discuss how updated guidelines are elevating GLP-1 agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors; how pharmacists can guide appropriate use of CGMs; and why tailoring data and alerts to individual patient preferences is essential to avoiding burnout and improving long-term outcomes.