For nearly 40 million Americans living with diabetes, keeping blood sugar levels in check is essential to avoid serious health problems like heart disease, nerve damage, and vision loss.
A Northeastern University researcher has found a new way to help more people manage their condition—by training pharmacists using virtual reality.
Matthew Ezzo, who recently completed his Ph.D., created a virtual reality (VR) training program to help pharmacists better understand continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
These small, wearable devices track blood sugar levels around the clock and send readings directly to a smartphone.
Unlike traditional finger-prick tests, CGMs provide constant updates, making it easier to spot dangerous spikes or drops in glucose and take action quickly.
The devices are covered by Medicare and widely recommended, especially for people with type 1 diabetes.
Despite being available for over 20 years, only about 3 million people currently use CGMs. Ezzo believes that number could be much higher if pharmacists were more comfortable explaining how they work.
That’s because pharmacists are often easier to access than doctors, and they regularly dispense CGMs and diabetes medications.
“For many people, pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals,” Ezzo says. “They’re in a great position to support people with diabetes, but they need to feel confident doing so.”
Ezzo’s research revealed that many pharmacists weren’t familiar with CGMs and didn’t feel confident discussing them with patients. Some didn’t even know what the devices looked like or what came in the box.
To solve this problem, he developed a 10-minute virtual reality simulation that walks pharmacists through the CGM’s components, how the sensor is applied to the body, how to use the connected app, and how to read glucose data reports.
Pharmacists in Massachusetts who tested the VR training said it significantly boosted their understanding and confidence.
One reported that after the training, he was far more likely to approach customers picking up a CGM to explain how it works rather than letting them leave without any guidance.
Ezzo’s work was published in Pharmacy Times, and he now works for Abbott, one of the major CGM manufacturers in the U.S. He says the training is especially valuable today, as pharmacists often don’t have time for traditional in-person product education.
In some pharmacy chains, representatives from medical companies aren’t even allowed to speak to staff.
By using VR, pharmacists can learn at their own pace while gaining hands-on familiarity with devices that could dramatically improve their patients’ health. Ezzo hopes this innovative approach will help more people benefit from modern diabetes care.
Source: Northeastern University.
