CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORING: UPDATE ON THE RISING TREND IN DIABETES TECH

For patients with diabetes, self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) has been a standard of care in managing their disease state. The drawback of this tool is that it only identifies blood glucose levels at a specific point in time, leaving the patient and providers with only snapshots of glucose readings. During the past two decades, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has evolved into an essential component of diabetes management for many individuals with insulin-treated diabetes, providing a more comprehensive representation of blood glucose trends and hypoglycemic or hypoglycemic occurrences throughout the day. Data from clinical trials has been threaded into diabetes clinical practice guidelines to suggest patient populations that would benefit from CGM use and how it has led to greater glycemic control. Pharmacists can extend their role in the community setting by recognizing potential candidates for CGM use and assisting in selection of an appropriate CGM device. With a multitude of FDA approved CGM devices on the market and even more in the pipeline, it is critical for pharmacists to have a fundamental understanding of the special features, components, costs, and proper use of these devices.

This CE will highlight updates in clinical practice guidelines that evaluate the role of CGMs for patients with diabetes. Additionally, this session will distinguish key features of the current CGMs on the market to guide community pharmacists in providing appropriate counseling and device selection for patients.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, the participant should be able to:

Interpret evidence-based recommendations regarding Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) use from diabetes clinical practice guidelines through review of clinical trials.

Summarize the results of clinical trials that evaluate CGM use.

Identify potential candidates who would benefit from CGM utilization.

Compare and Contrast key features of CGMs currently on the market.
Effectively Counsel patients on CGM devices.