The number of sugar diabetes patients in Latvia is growing and is approaching the 100,000 boundary. In order to encourage the use of safe and correct medical equipment regardless of patients’ financial situation, as part of its Chronic Patient Support Programme, from 5 March the AS Olainfarm group company Latvijas aptieka will launch a special Diabetes Patients’ Support Programme. This will allow any diabetes patient to receive a package once a month free of charge containing the corresponding size of insulin needles (4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, 30 G, 31 G, 32 G) at any of this chain’s pharmacies.

According to data from the Health Statistics Database, in 2021 the number of registered diabetes patients per 100,000 inhabitants rose by almost 18% compared to 2020. The costs of diabetes treatment and medication are also rising, but high inflation and challenging financial situations prompt many diabetic patients to use the same devices, i.e. repeated use of insulin needles, creating additional risks to your health.

“Although the term “well-being” has entered public use quite recently, we can safely assert that we have been using it for a lot longer as part of our patient care and support programme. Day-to-day, in dealing with patients, we witness various situations and actions that do not promote well-being, but, quite the opposite, reduce it. We are confident that with the launch of the new diabetes patient support programme, we will be able to improve patients’ quality of life, and at the same time help them to save money,” says SIA Latvijas Aptieka Chairman of the Board Alvis Ērglis.

Latvijas aptieka’s Chronic Patient Support Programme is a non-commercial project, under the auspices of which both pharmacists and the public are educated. It includes support programmes for patients with diabetes, stoma, multiple sclerosis, asthma, rare diseases, as part of which there is regular and active communication not only with specialists and pharmacists, but also with NGOs, governmental and municipal bodies, patient organizations, patients themselves and their family members.