As the gap between achieving optimal drug therapy for diabetes management widens, so does the need for improved medical centers. But how does this happen? If pharmacists were to “use their clinical expertise in monitoring and managing diabetes treatment plans to positively impact health outcomes and empower patients to actively manage their health,” the number of people with diabetes could decrease ( Smith, 2009). Pharmacists are highly accessible medical professionals who do not utilize their full potential (Smith, 2009). They are an essential component of the American healthcare system that could easily educate patients struggling with diabetes (Shane-McWhorter, 2005). Implementing pharmacist-led diabetes clinics has been shown to reduce patients' blood glucose levels, medication costs, and patient mortality rates. Diabetes In 2011, 28.8 million people living in the United States had diabetes. This represents 8.3% of the US population (CDC, 2011). While this number may seem small, diabetes is a rapidly growing disease that needs a solution as it is the seventh leading cause of death. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas is unable to produce the amount of insulin needed to convert food, sugars and starches into energy for the body. Therefore, blood sugar levels rise, also known as hyperglycemia. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is commonly found in children or young adults and makes up only 5% of diabetes cases. A person with type 1 diabetes does not produce insulin at all. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease. People struggling... middle of paper... diabetes educators and disease managers. Rhode Island Medical Journal, 95(9), 275-276. Retrieved from http://www.rimed.org/2012-09.aspLeal, S., Herrier, R.N., Glover, J.J., & Felix, A. (2004). Improve the quality of diabetes care through a comprehensive pharmacist-based disease management program. Diabetes Care, 27(12), 2983-2984. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/contentShane-McWhorter, L. (2005). Scope and standards for pharmacists' practice of diabetes education. diabeteseducator.org. Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www.diabeteseducator.org/export/sites/aade/_resources/pdf/PharmDScopeStandards.pdfSmith, M. (2009). The role of pharmacists in improving diabetes medication management. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 3(1), 175-179. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769842/