For people with diabetes, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can impact health and, as a result, workplace performance. However real-time continuous glucose monitoring can enable people to prevent or treat these highs and lows. “Out of the Canadian population, only about 10 per cent have diabetes, so it’s a small population in general,” said Suzanne Lepage, a […]
While the definition of type 1 diabetes – the body doesn’t produce insulin – sounds clear and concise, this disease is anything but, said Lisa Geelen, a type 1 diabetes caregiver, during Benefits Canada’s 2019 Chronic Disease at Work conference in Toronto on June 5. Diabetes is more of an art than a science to manage, […]
More than half (54 per cent) of Canadian workers reported having at least one chronic disease or condition, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. The five most common issues were mental illness, hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis and diabetes. Nearly half (42 per cent) of respondents also reported having chronic pain, describing it as […]
Specialty medications and high-cost drugs for common conditions are driving up private plan drug spending, according to Express Scripts Canada’s annual drug trends report. The report found the rapid increases in drug spending for private plans over the last 20 years have started to slow. The average annual drug spending per plan member was up just 0.9 per cent […]
LifeScan Inc. is launching a mobile app for benefits plan members living with diabetes. Diabetes, which is a growing health concern for Canadians, ranks second in drug spending by employer-sponsored health plans. The app, which is licensed by Health Canada, works by transmitting blood glucose data from a compatible monitoring system to the app using Bluetooth. […]
Something interesting happened this month as we examined the 2018 experience of two different plan sponsors in two separate geographies with different demographics. The only similarity between the plans is they both have 80,000 or more individual claimants on their drug plan annually. At the same time last year, we completed a series of predictive analytics on […]
Achieving radiant health through nutrition is an ancient trend that southern Alberta pharmacist Melissa Hozack is helping to revive. “In 400 BC, Hippocrates said, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ How can we promote health instead of looking at sick care?” said Hozack, a consultant pharmacist and owner of Redcliff Pharmasave, at […]
While type 2 diabetes is generally considered to be a chronic, progressive condition, a recent clinical trial showed that with pharmacist-led therapeutic nutritional intervention, reversal is a realistic goal. As Sean McKelvey, chief executive officer of the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition, told attendees at the 2018 Pharmacy Solutions in Drug Plan Management Forum in […]
With diabetes on the rise, how well employees manage the chronic disease should be a concern for employers, Diana Sherifali, an associate professor at McMaster University’s school of nursing, told Benefits Canada‘s 2018 Healthy Outcomes conference in May. Since diabetes often comes with other chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, hypertension and high cholesterol, mitigating it […]
Motivational interviewing can be a powerful way for health coaches to improve patient outcomes, said Ann Stirling, senior director at CAREpath Inc., during her presentation at Benefits Canada‘s 2018 Healthy Outcomes conference in Toronto. For people having difficulty managing a chronic disease on their own, motivational interviewing can help them take on the challenge, she […]