Training course to help healthcare professionals and new treatments

A new training programme to help primary care healthcare professionals better understand the very latest glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) treatments.  

New Decade, New Therapies: Simplifying the Complex is a CPD-accredited (continuing professional development) course and includes three modules.

The course has been developed by the Leicester Diabetes Centre and Primary Care Diabetes Europe (PCDE).

GLP-1 RA treatments are used for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. One of their advantages over older insulin secretagogues, such as sulfonylureas or meglitinides, is that they have a lower risk of causing hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels).

The first module will be available from March and features a webcast discussion involving leading diabetes researchers Professor Melanie Davies CBE, Professor Kamlesh Khunti and Dr Samuel Seidu, followed by multiple choice questions for the user to complete.

The trio of high-profile experts talk about the positioning of GLP-1RA agonists in the management of people with type 2 diabetes and the latest European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) guidelines in relation to the treatment.

Professor Davies, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester and Co-Director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre at Leicester General Hospital, said: “Incretin mimetics are a relatively new group of drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes, initially only daily injections were available, now this can be delivered weekly and soon a tablet formula will be available.

“They are normally prescribed for people who have not been able to control their condition with tablet medication. They can garner positive results, but it’s crucial, healthcare professionals fully understand how they work, their benefits and, of course, any side effects which might impact their patient.

“As with all medication, guidelines and treatment options can change, which is why we’ve developed this course. Our overall aim is to ensure there are better health outcomes for those in the primary care setting.”

The second module to be made available from June will look at the practical aspects of initiation and titrations of GLP-1RA and their combinations with other glucose lowering therapies In October the third and final module will be available and covers innovations in GLP-1RAs.

There will also be accompanying slides and case studies to further support the learning throughout the course.

Access the course here

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