Ontario Pharmacists Association Partners with BD Canada and Ascensia Diabetes Care to Commemorate 100 Years of Insulin and Pharmacy's Role in Diabetes Management
TORONTO, April 13, 2021 /CNW/ - This year marks the 100th anniversary of insulin discovery. Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) is proud to announce a partnership with BD Canada and Ascensia Diabetes Care to celebrate the momentous anniversary and highlight the important involvement of pharmacy professionals in the management of the disease. The revolutionary Canadian discovery by Sir Frederick Banting and his assistant Charles Best is a leading medical advancement that has fundamentally changed the lives of millions around the globe.
To commemorate the Nobel prize-winning discovery of insulin OPA, BD Canada, and Ascensia are collaborating to provide a series of online events and programs including live webinars, contests, and educational workshops from April 2021, until June 2021. The events and programs will celebrate the milestone and focus on providing top-tier guidance and resources for pharmacy professionals so they can continue to appropriately support patients with diabetes. As accessible healthcare providers, pharmacy professionals are integral members of a diabetes care team that assist patients with insulin delivery and the best possible management of the disease.
"We at BD are very happy to help sponsor OPA, as we jointly commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. BD has been proud to support our pharmacists and people with diabetes since 1924 when we manufactured the first insulin syringe," said Jennifer Spearen VP of Diabetes Care, BD. "We continually seek to collaborate with our pharmacy professionals in striving towards our mutual goals around the advancement and management of diabetes care for all people with diabetes, as BD continues its mission of advancing the world of health."
Over 11 million Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes.Insulin significantly improves the health outcomes of patients with diabetes but there is an ongoing fight against the disease. Pharmacy professionals in various settings from community pharmacies to hospitals help support efforts with patient care by providing education, practical approaches to therapy adherence, and improved clinical outcomes. Together the combined efforts of pharmacy professionals, other health care providers, and diabetes management therapies ease the burden of those affected by the disease.
"As a trusted partner in the diabetes community, Ascensia Diabetes Care is proud to commemorate the 100th year of the discovery of insulin in partnership with OPA," said Annika Pawaroo, Country Head, Ascensia Diabetes Care. "We are excited to mark this special discovery and we look forward to what the future holds. For more than 70 years, continuous research has allowed our diabetes care team to lead the way in blood glucose monitoring systems designed to meet the needs of patients. We will continue to proudly collaborate and partner with pharmacy professionals to help improve diabetes management and build on the legacy of our longstanding commitment to diabetes."
As one of Canada's leading advocacy organizations for pharmacy professionals, OPA is honoured to celebrate the success of 100 years of insulin alongside BD Canada and Ascensia Diabetes Care. "OPA is excited to partner with two industry leaders that work to enhance the health and well-being of patients with diabetes," said Lilliette Davidson, VP Business Management & Development at OPA. "Pharmacy professionals play a key role in the achievement of optimal health outcomes, and these valuable programs and resources can be applied to their practice when caring for the diabetes patient population."
The discovery of insulin paved the way for other medical and technological advancements that have enabled improved support, treatment, and outcomes for patients living with diabetes. As principal points of contact for patients with diabetes, OPA supports pharmacy professionals and delivers high-value resources, training, and innovative approaches to practice and patient care.
To learn more about the campaign and to subscribe to receive updates visit: www.opatoday.com/100YearsOfInsulin.
ABOUT OPA
The Ontario Pharmacists Association is committed to evolving the pharmacy profession and advocating for excellence in practice and patient care. With more than 10,000 members, OPA is Canada's largest advocacy organization, professional development and drug information provider for pharmacy professionals across Ontario. By leveraging the unique expertise of pharmacy professionals, enabling them to practice to their fullest potential, and making them more accessible to patients, OPA is working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system. The pharmacy sector plays a strong role in Ontario with an economic impact of more than $6.3 billion across 4,600 pharmacies, employing 60,000 Ontarians. For more information on OPA, visit https://www.opatoday.com.
ABOUT ASCENSIA DIABETES CARE
Established in 2016, through the acquisition of Bayer Diabetes Care by PHC Holdings (formerly known as Panasonic Healthcare Holdings), Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global company dedicated to improving the health and lives of people with diabetes. Already including the world–renowned CONTOUR™ range of blood glucose monitoring systems, Ascensia is committed to adding more innovative and life-changing products to their portfolio. For more information on Ascensia Diabetes Care, visit https://www.ascensiadiabetes.ca. ©2021 Ascensia Diabetes Care Canada Inc.
ABOUT BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 65,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. For more information on BD, visit bd.com/en-ca.
SOURCE Ontario Pharmacists Association
