WOONSOCKET, R.I. — This spring MinuteClinic is offering a free monitoring visit to diabetes patients to help them better control the disease.
The CVS Caremark retail health clinic subsidiary said Wednesday that the service is aimed at helping patients with diabetes keep their health in check between visits to a primary care doctor and is available seven days a week at its walk-in medical clinics inside CVS/pharmacy stores.
Administered by a MinuteClinic nurse practitioner or physician assistant, the diabetes monitoring service includes hemoglobin A1c and blood glucose testing (as needed), a blood pressure check, a body mass index (BMI) test, a cholesterol test, a foot exam and a microalbumin test (kidney function check).
In addition, the practitioner will conduct a review of lifestyle factors and give immediate results and recommendations. And with the patient’s permission, MinuteClinic will share a copy of the visit record with the patient’s primary physician.
"For the more than 25.8 million Americans with diabetes, MinuteClinic can be a valuable, and collaborative member of the patient care team, working in tandem with physicians and other medical professionals to ensure that patients with diabetes can access the care they need to stay on top of their condition," MinuteClinic chief medical officer Nancy Gagliano said in a statement.
Patients who partake in the diabetes monitoring services will receive an Accu-Chek 360-Degree View data recording tool that provides a quick snapshot of their blood sugar patterns helps with regulating meal sizes and energy and activity levels at specific times.
The free monitoring package is available through May 31. Roche, the maker of Accu-Chek products, is sponsoring the free diabetes monitoring service.
