Richmond Hill Pharmacy was recently named an accredited diabetes education program by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), a national accredited organization certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

This will allow the people with Diabetes in and around Bryan county increased access to high quality diabetes education services.

Diabetes education is a collaborative process through which people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify behavior and self-manage the disease and its related conditions. The program is taught by trained educators.

Richmond Hill Pharmacy, at 2409 Highway 17, began offering the classes at the first of the month.

"We are really excited to offer these education classes and hope to begin helping patients manage an already difficult situation," said Lauren G. Howell, Pharm.D., program coordinator. "Patients should know they do not have to tackle their diabetes alone; we are here to help."

The accreditation director at the Diabetes Education Accreditation Program agrees.

"AADE’s accreditation assures that an accredited program meets the national standards for diabetes self-management education and support," Leslie E. Kolb, RN, BSN, MBA, said. "Programs who meet this criteria are considered high quality and have been shown to improve the health status of the individuals who embrace the education and help to modify sometimes unhealthy behaviors, or simply provide the education that the person with diabetes has not previously received. Richmond Hill Pharmacy is exactly the type of program we envisioned when we set up our accreditation in 2009."