Australians are being provided free well being checks at their native Priceline Pharmacy this Nationwide Diabetes Week (13–19 July) in an effort to strengthen efforts to stop sort 2 diabetes.
Performed on a digital well being station, checks are free, self-service, and take as little as 5 minutes to finish. The Well being Stations may be present in over 300 taking part Priceline Pharmacies, giving individuals a fast and straightforward strategy to verify their sort 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and metabolic well being dangers, with on the spot outcomes. Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain stated the initiative has the potential to avoid wasting hundreds of lives and ease rising stress on the well being system.
“There are 1.3 million Australians dwelling with sort 2 diabetes and one other 500,000 dwelling with silent, undiagnosed sort 2 diabetes,” Ms Cain stated.
“Worryingly, there are one other 2 million people who find themselves at excessive danger of growing sort 2 diabetes. A easy, free verify may very well be the distinction between early detection and a life-threatening diabetes complication like a coronary heart assault or stroke.
“Along with the function that genetics and household historical past play in diabetes, we all know that as much as 58 per cent of sort 2 diabetes instances may be prevented or delayed by means of life-style modifications. A well being verify is a sensible means to assist Australians perceive their danger and enhance their well being.
“This Nationwide Diabetes Week we need to spotlight the significance of prevention and early analysis of sort 2 diabetes and the prevention of issues from all sorts of diabetes.
“These are critically essential to guard the well being of Australians now and into the longer term.”
Priceline Pharmacy Nationwide Pharmacy Assist Supervisor, Mel Gannon, stated: “Pharmacies are some of the accessible healthcare touchpoints in Australia, and at Priceline Pharmacy, we take that duty severely. Early intervention saves lives, and all of it begins with realizing your numbers.”
Lee Chinprahust, 34, is a bodily lively safety analyst from Sydney. 5 years in the past, he began feeling unusually drained so visited his GP. It was a easy step that had a profound affect.
A routine blood take a look at confirmed Lee had sort 2 diabetes. Additional checks revealed hypertension and excessive ldl cholesterol, warning indicators that usually go unnoticed. “I wasn’t anticipating it,” Lee stated. “However catching it early gave me the possibility to take management earlier than issues grew to become extra critical.”
Now 34, Lee has change into a powerful advocate for prevention and early intervention. He’s managing his situation with metformin, a nutritious diet, and common train. “It’s all concerning the selections you make as soon as you understand what you’re coping with,” he says. “However first, it is advisable to know.”
Pictured above on the press convention to launch Nationwide Diabetes Week 2025 are Mel Gannon, Justine Cain, and Lee Chinprahust on the Priceline World Sq. Pharmacy in Sydney.
The Priceline Well being Stations can establish danger components for heart problems and diabetes, akin to hypertension, rapidly and simply.
The well being verify initiative comes after Diabetes Australia reported up to date financial modelling exhibiting all sorts of diabetes at the moment are costing the well being system an estimated $9.1 billion yearly, nearly thrice larger than beforehand reported.
New evaluation by Diabetes Australia, utilizing up to date prevalence knowledge and the most recent worldwide proof, highlights the true scale of the kind 2 diabetes disaster.
“Kind 2 diabetes is without doubt one of the greatest well being challenges dealing with Australia. Each 8 minutes, somebody is identified with sort 2 diabetes. If we don’t act now, as much as 3.2 million Australians may very well be dwelling with sort 2 diabetes by 2050. It’s not all preventable, however the place it’s we have to take robust motion,” Ms Cain stated.
“Behind the well being prices are thousands and thousands of Australians dealing with critical issues like stroke, coronary heart illness and imaginative and prescient loss. We should do extra to stop these issues as a lot as attainable.”
Ms Cain stated whereas Australia has made progress in different areas of illness prevention, akin to breast most cancers and melanoma, diabetes has not acquired the identical degree of nationwide consideration.
“Australia is lagging behind different nations in the case of sort 2 diabetes prevention. We’d like a powerful, coordinated public well being response,” she stated.
“That features training campaigns, higher meals labelling, school-based initiatives and improved entry to prevention and early intervention companies.
Diabetes Australia is asking on governments to behave urgently, with elevated funding in community-based prevention and consciousness applications to ease the rising burden on Australia’s well being system.
“Free checks are an essential first step, however they have to be a part of a much bigger, long-term technique to deal with this nationwide sort 2 diabetes epidemic.”
To search out your nearest Priceline Pharmacy Well being Station, go to:
https://portal.sisuhealthgroup.com/find-health-stations
About Diabetes Australia
Diabetes Australia is the nationwide organisation supporting all individuals dwelling with or liable to diabetes. We put individuals first. We work in collaboration with member organisations, shoppers, well being professionals, state-based diabetes organisations, researchers and the group.
For extra data go to: www.diabetesaustralia.com.au
