Pueblo families have three unique opportunities tomorrow and Thursday to receive free health screenings as part of a nationwide diabetes screening tour in Health Mart pharmacies, the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour. The Health Mart Healthy Living Tour aims to raise awareness of the growing diabetes epidemic, identify people at risk and encourage people with diabetes to manage their condition with the help of their pharmacist.

With Diabetes posing as a serious epidemic in the U.S, this is a great value to Pueblo moms. Community pharmacists play a vital role in supporting the health and well-being of the places in which they live and work, and will be on hand at the screenings.

According to the ADA, diabetes affects more than 23.6 million Americans and another 57 million are likely to get the disease if they don’t alter their living habits.

Wednesday, July 21
Prescription Shop Health Mart
9:00 AM to 12PM
1728 South Prairie
Pueblo, CO 81105
Web site: http://www.healthmarthealthyliving.com

Wednesday, July 21
JB Health Mart Pharmacy
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
915 West Northern
Pueblo, CO 81004
Web site: http://www.healthmarthealthyliving.com

Thursday, July 22
Blende Health Mart Drug
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
1910 Santa Fe Dr
Pueblo, CO 81006
Web site: http://www.healthmarthealthyliving.com

Health Mart® Healthy Living Tour Hits the Road, Delivering Free Health Screenings and Diabetes Education across the Country
Health Mart pharmacists connect with their communities to drive high-quality, accessible and affordable patient care

McKesson Pharmacy Strategies Conference — Las Vegas — June 29, 2010 — Health Mart®, a national network of more than 2,600 independently owned pharmacies, today announced the start of the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour at the McKesson Pharmacy Strategies Conference in Las Vegas, NV. The nationwide tour features a mobile screening unit that will travel across the country to raise diabetes awareness by administering free health screenings and providing diabetes education. Sponsored by Health Mart Pharmacy, Bayer Diabetes Care and Novo Nordisk, the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour aims to help identify people at risk for diabetes and encourage those with the disease to leverage the support of their pharmacist in managing their condition.

The Health Mart Healthy Living Tour encourages consumers to initiate conversations with their community pharmacists to learn whether they are at risk for diabetes complications and partner with them to optimize their diabetes care when required. Ninety-five percent of all Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy, including the more than 2,600 locally owned Health Mart pharmacies across the country. Independent pharmacists provide personalized care, including diabetes care management and counseling and serve as trusted health care advisors to their patients. Furthermore, community pharmacists are helping to keep healthcare costs down while delivering quality patient care.

Last year, the campaign screened thousands of people, 25% of whom were identified as “at risk” for diabetes. “I was proud to participate in last year’s diabetes awareness campaign, which reflected Health Mart’s commitment to local communities,” said Brian Marr, owner, River Road Health Mart Pharmacy. “Treatment for diabetes can be complicated and expensive, requiring medication and regular blood-glucose monitoring, but with ongoing care and attentiveness, the disease is also manageable. It’s important for diabetes patients to understand the importance of medication adherence to prevent potential complications such as blindness, dialysis and amputations. Through the campaign, I was able to connect with my patients so they could better understand their disease and medication.”

The Health Mart Healthy Living Tour will visit 16 states, stopping at community events and more than 60 Health Mart pharmacies across America. It ends November 17, 2010. At each stop, the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour will offer free health screenings, including blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood glucose, and Hemoglobin A1c tests. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to better understand the role that their community pharmacist can play as a trusted health advisor who can deliver personalized diabetes care. Bayer Diabetes Care, Novo Nordisk and several other sponsors will also provide free educational materials related to diabetes care. A full listing of tour stops can be found at www.HealthMart.com/tour

“Health Mart is committed to raising diabetes awareness, and the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour helps amplify the importance of diabetes education,” said Tim Canning, president, Health Mart. “Since diabetes affects more than 24 million Americans, it’s critical that we connect community pharmacists, who are the most accessible healthcare professionals, to diabetes patients. Health Mart pharmacists work closely with their patients to overcome the financial burden and complications associated with treatment. Health Mart is increasing the visibility of community pharmacists’ role as an integral member of the patient care team.”

“At Bayer Diabetes Care, our mission is to help simplify life for people with diabetes and that includes highlighting the importance of community pharmacists as a healthcare resource. We are proud to be a part of Health Mart’s diabetes awareness campaign and the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour that showcases local community pharmacists as an important and accessible resource for people with diabetes,” said Olivier Jarry, chief operating officer, Bayer Diabetes Care.

“Community pharmacists are an affordable, accessible and reliable healthcare resource in the fight against diabetes,” said Patrick Quinn, senior director of trade, Novo Nordisk. “By connecting people at risk and patients with diabetes to their community pharmacists, not only is the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour underscoring the valuable role of community pharmacists in the early detection and management of diabetes, but it is also improving the quality of life for patients and keeping healthcare costs down.”

For more information on the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour, please visit www.HealthMart.com/tour.

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About Health Mart

Health Mart, today’s fastest-growing independent pharmacy network in the U.S., helps independent pharmacies attract new customers, maximize the value of existing customers, and enhance operational efficiency through managed care contracting services, marketing and advertising tools, in-store programs, and operational support. Health Mart’s distinctive, consumer-preferred logo, store design, and decor help independent pharmacists reinforce their unique role as community healthcare advisors providing exceptional counseling, patient education and wellness support at similar price points to chain pharmacies. Health Mart delivers an industry-leading program for a set monthly fee without any up-front initiation fee and provides franchisees with a no-fault out clause. The Health Mart franchise is owned by McKesson Corporation. For more information, please visit www.healthmart.com.

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Disclosure – The above post was sponsored by Health Mart to raise awareness to moms in Colorado about Diabetes.