MINNETONKA, Minn. — Food and drug retailer Safeway Inc. is joining the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance (DPCA), formed by UnitedHealth Group in tandem with the YMCA and retail pharmacy operators.
UnitedHealth said Tuesday that Safeway will participate in the DPCA’s Diabetes Control Program, which provides patient education and support from trained pharmacists to help people with diabetes better control their condition and lower the risk of developing complications, such as cardiovascular, kidney and eye disease.
Under the program, pharmacists at select Safeway stores will provide blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure testing services and provide participants with on-the-spot results so they get immediate feedback on their status or progress in managing their diabetes.
Safeway has begun offering the Diabetes Control Program at its supermarkets in Tucson, Ariz., and plans to do so in Seattle-area stores, among other locations.
"Safeway continues to be a leader in advancing innovative solutions to help our customers live healthier lives and providing tools and services to prevent disease," Darren Singer, senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness at Safeway, said in a statement. "Diabetes continues to take a devastating toll on families and communities, and through Safeway’s participation in the DPCA, we are helping provide greater access to care for our customers and helping them manage and take control of this disease."
Other chain drug retailers in the DPCA include Walgreens, Albertsons, Kroger and Winn-Dixie, as well as diabetes care suppliers such as Novo Nordisk.
"Safeway is an important new partner in our efforts to reach more people living with diabetes and provide them with greater access to preventive measures and resources to take better control of their health," stated Deneen Vojta, M.D., senior vice president of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization. "Diabetes affects so many individuals, families and communities, and through partners like Safeway we are able to broaden the alliance’s reach and will be able to make greater progress against this epidemic."
The two primary elements of the DPCA are the Diabetes Control Program, designed to reduce health complications among people with diabetes, and the Diabetes Prevention Program, which is offered offered in conjunction with the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program and is aimed at preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes among people at a higher risk for the disease.
