Amy Nicholas, PharmD, CDE1,2

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 23.6 million children and adults have diabetes (8% of the US population) and another 5.7 million cases remain undiagnosed. Epidemiologists predict that these statistics will double by 2030, further taxing the healthcare system. Medical expenditures are approximately 2.3 times higher for diabetic versus nondiabetic patients, and the annual cost of diabetes is estimated to be $116 billion.