LloydsPharmacy is working to increase diabetes awareness and prevent the spread of Type 2 Diabetes. Over the last 2 years, they recruited Diabetes Ireland to enhance the staff expertise on diabetes and help to develop additional skills within the pharmacies to support those at risk of and living with all types of diabetes.  LloydsPharmacy operate 94 stores across Ireland.

In addition, Diabetes Ireland is working with LloydsPharmacy to provide 4 free screenings to the general public

• 2pm-6pm Tuesday 7 February
  LloydsPharmacy, Blackrock, Co Dublin
• 2pm-6pm Tuesday 28 February
  LloydsPharmacy, Ballincollig, Co Cork
• 2pm-6pm Tuesday 7 March
  LloydsPharmacy, Northside Shopping Centre, Dublin 17
• 3pm-7pm Tuesday 21 March
  LloydsPharmacy, Castletroy, Co Limerick

After each of these screenings, there will be a meeting held in the pharmacy with 4 speakers;

• A LloydsPharmacy Expert Pharmacist
• Anna Clark, Sinead Powell, Pauline Dunne of Diabetes Ireland
• Jules Coll, an online Health Guru
• Conal Keaney – Dublin GAA Star

RESEARCH

The LloydsPharmacy research, conducted by Amárach Research among 1,000 Irish people over the age of 16, is part of the pharmacy’s national campaign to highlight the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

• 46% of adults rarely or never check the sugar content of their food
• 82%  percent ‘regularly’ consuming confectionery
• Women under-25s are most likely to snack on sugary food.
• Only 14 percent of parents are aware of their children’s recommended daily sugar intake
• Irish men rank first in Europe for the highest body mass index (BMI), while Irish women rank third, according to a 2016 study published by medical journal, The Lancet

The initiative is supported by GP and leading healthcare expert Dr Nina Byrnes. She described the findings as a “shocking snapshot of the diabetes challenge faced by the Irish public, healthcare professionals and policymakers”.

“The findings of LloydsPharmacy’s research are shocking, yet they attest to what I and many other Irish GPs encounter on a regular basis,” said Dr Byrnes. “With sugar consumption on the rise, and obesity and Type 2 diabetes along with it, there is an urgent need to educate the public on the dangers of an unhealthy lifestyle, particularly children and especially secondary school pupils. Teenagers are at a point in life where they have greater autonomy and more power over their nutrition, and it’s important that they learn early on in life what constitutes healthy eating and what does not.

“Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires lifelong management. If we do not tackle the root causes now, beyond the personal health and welfare of hundreds of thousands of people with diabetes, an epidemic will create huge problems for our health service, both in terms of cost to the taxpayer and hospital infrastructure.”

Joanne Kissane, Superintendent Pharmacist at LloydsPharmacy, said: “The increase in Type 2 diabetes in Ireland is a major health concern, but one that is largely preventable. However, our research shows that many people are still confused about core issues like daily sugar intake for their children, the sugar content in fizzy drinks and alcohol, and the dangers of diabetes”.

“It is vital that consumers are educated on the adverse effects of sugar and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and diet. According to the HSE many Type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented by following four healthy lifestyle recommendations: regular exercise, not smoking, limited alcohol consumption, and eating a healthy balanced diet, especially the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables.”

Ahead of the campaign, LloydsPharmacy invited Diabetes Ireland to further enhance colleagues’ expertise on diabetes and develop additional skills within its pharmacies to support those at risk and living with diabetes. In total, 144 colleagues in 82 stores nationwide received advanced training from Diabetes Ireland.

Dr Anna Clarke, Head of Health Promotion at Diabetes Ireland commented “Pharmacy staff are working on the front line meeting the general public every day and are ideally placed to provide vital education to people and raise awareness amongst the general population. We greatly appreciated the opportunity to build on LloydsPharmacy staff diabetes knowledge equipping them to support those living with diabetes and prevent the type 2 epidemic. Also we thank LloydsPharmacy for investing in free screenings for their customers”

Other research findings include – 

• 80 percent of adults do not know their recommended daily sugar intake, as 46 percent rarely or never check their food’s sugar content, according to new research;
• Only 14 percent of Irish parents know their children’s recommended daily sugar intake;
• Only 44 percent of Irish men claim to know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes compared to 64 percent of women, a worrying statistic as Irish men now have the highest body mass index (BMI) in Europe according to a 2016 study published by medical journal, The Lancet
• 1 in 3 not aware that there is potential to prevent Type 2 diabetes
• 37 percent of adults eat sugary confectionery at least once a day, with women and under-25s the largest consumers;
• 4 in 10 monitor their sugar intake, and almost half (47 percent) of parents monitor their children’s;
• 7 in 10 are influenced by warning labels when purchasing sugary food and drink;
• 90 percent of those surveyed consume drinks that contain sugar, with wine, beer and fizzy drinks the most popular. Almost a fifth (18 percent) of those who consume sugary drinks say they drink them once every day.
• Just over half (54 percent) know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

For further information, including event details, contact:

For media queries contact:

Hannah O’Neill: Ph-085 1663 584/ Email – [email protected]

Elena Healy: Ph-086 389 4988/ Email – [email protected]