Charleston/Spartanburg, SC
In Charleston, three municipal government entities and a supermarket chain collaborated to improve diabetes care in the region known as the "Low Country" through participation in the Diabetes Ten City Challenge. Also in South Carolina, Spartanburg Water, the water utility and sanitary sewer district in Spartanburg, joined the DTCC and began offering the program to its 700 insured employees and dependents as of November 1, 2006. More than 6,500 employees and dependents are eligible to participate in the Charleston area DTCC through five employers:
City of Charleston - 3,300
Charleston Water System - 460
Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co., Inc. - 2,200
Town of Mt. Pleasant - 550
Spartanburg Water & Sewer - 700
Pharmacist Network
A network of contracted pharmacists, coordinated by the South Carolina Pharmacy Association, sees individuals by appointment at participating pharmacies as well as at employer sites:
The Charleston-area pharmacist network includes 14 pharmacists from Kerr Drugs, Prescription Center, Bi-Lo and Piggly Wiggly supermarkets, and a group of independent consultant pharmacists
Pharmacists have completed the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Diabetes Certification with training provided by the South Carolina Pharmacy Association
Certified Diabetes Educators from the community also are available as resources to participants who need intensive training to understand or control their diabetes
Relevant Statistics
Statistics on Diabetes in South Carolina
According to the South Carolina Department of Health:
South Carolina has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country, ranking 7th in diabetes prevalence
An estimated 414,840 South Carolinians have been diagnosed with diabetes
1,183 South Carolinians died from diabetes in 2005 and another 2,000 died from other diseases associated with diabetes such as heart disease and stroke
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in South Carolina