Promoting Health Through Food & Nutrition
AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy continues to be a leader in the specialty pharmacy industry, now offering nutrition guidance to patients in its mission to provide hope and care for better tomorrows.
Nutrition is critical to maintain the health and well-being of all individuals, especially for those with chronic disease. Proper nutrition can slow progression, control symptoms, and help control co-morbid conditions.1 Diet and inflammation play essential roles in the chronic disease process. Inflammation is a significant factor leading to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease along with autoimmune diseases.1
Mediterranean diets, diets high in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods, as well as high-fiber diets (including fiber supplementation) are associated with reduced levels of inflammation.2 Diet is a modifiable risk factor for most chronic conditions.1 Dietary modifications can help prevent the development of many chronic diseases, however changes to a person’s usual diet are often needed once a condition has developed to assist with disease management.3
An AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) is available to provide personalized nutrition guidance to our patient population. The dietitian will meet with the patient to minimize medication side effects and manage co-morbidities with the goal of improving therapy adherence.
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How does a patient receive nutrition services?
As part of the pilot program, the care management nurses pose a Connected Care screening question to a select patient population that triggers a referral to the dietitian for patient outreach.
For new patients receiving home infusions, the infusion care nurses complete the malnutrition and food insecurity screening as part of the nursing coordination and initial pharmacy assessment. If the patient is at risk for malnutrition or is in a position where they are unable to access food, they have the option to speak with a dietitian.
Consulting pharmacists can also send referrals if they identify a need for nutrition services and the patient provides consent to be contacted.
AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy’s complimentary nutrition services are currently available for the organ, endocrine, infectious disease, nursing infusion support therapy (NIST) and oncology Specialty360 therapy management centers. Additional therapy management centers will be added later this year.
Patient feedback has been very positive:
• “I felt so alone and hopeless in this disease process before my dietitian and I were able to talk.”
• “The nutrition information has been extremely valuable, and I will apply the concepts for the rest of my life.”
• “I am so thankful for this [dietitian] service; now I can manage my symptoms and stay on this medication while still being able to work.”
Sources
Ojo O. Nutrition and Chronic Conditions. Nutrients. 2019 Feb 22;11(2):459. doi: 10.3390/ nu11020459. PMID: 30813286; PMCID: PMC6412662.
Smidowicz A, Regula J. Effect of nutritional status and dietary patterns on human serum C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 concentrations. Adv Nutr. 2015 Nov 13;6(6):738-47. doi: 10.3945/ an.115.009415. PMID: 26567198; PMCID: PMC4642421.
Gropper SS. The Role of Nutrition in Chronic Disease. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 28;15(3):664. doi: 10.3390/ nu15030664. PMID: 36771368; PMCID: PMC9921002.
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