Claudine K. Atalig, a certified pharmacy technician of PHI Pharmacy, on Saturday said hypertension medicines are the next most saleable item.
Atalig said of the approximately 700 prescription medicines handed out by PHI Pharmacy every day, over 300 are for diabetes or hypertension.
“The rest are antibiotics and other minor prescriptions,” she told Variety.
Atalig, who has been with PHI for 12 years now, said based on their research four years ago, diabetes is the number one disease on the islands.
The number of patients with diabetes in the commonwealth continues to increase, she added.
“The number of our patients with diabetes keeps on rising each year and it is very alarming,” she said.
If a patient has diabetes it also affects his blood pressure and kidney, she added.
“We need to keep track of these patients’ records and continue to assist them,” she said.
As a partner of the Commonwealth Health Center, PHI Pharmacy is also conducting patient education and diabetes workshops as well as informational materials to patients.
Atalig was among the speakers during Saturday’s health career day organized by Northern Marianas College.
In 2007, a law was enacted to require insurance coverage for individuals with diabetes after it was found out that there were 243 diabetes-related deaths in the CNMI between 1996 and 2000.
According to the law, “by [also] ensuring accessibility to necessary supplies and equipment, diabetes complications can be avoided, thereby reducing health care costs.”
