NEOMED Alumnus Shares Diabetes Insights with Students

First-time author Tim Church, Pharm. D. (’11) doesn’t view himself as a great writer. But he’s certain of his passion to help patients cope with chronic disease. The idea to write a book sprang from his desire to educate people beyond the veterans he serves as a clinical pharmacy specialist in primary care at West Palm Beach Florida Veterans Affairs Medical Center—a facility where the majority of patients with diabetes are managed by pharmacists.

“Not many books on diabetes intended for patients are written from a pharmacist’s perspective,” said Dr. Church on a recent visit to NEOMED, during which he spoke with pharmacy students, faculty and staff at a classroom session and book signing focused on his new book, When Eating Right Isn’t Enough: The Top 5 Medications to Control Your Type 2 Diabetes. The book provides Dr. Church’s stance on medications while also providing basic information about the disease—including the consequences if it is not taken seriously and how to incorporate lifestyle changes.

In the book, Dr. Church describes the five me dications he most commonly recommends to people with diabetes, based on the available literature and his work experience in Florida. Within the VA system, pharmacists with a scope of practice of any area of medicine can prescribe medication. That’s just a starting point, though. Dr. Church said he uses concise layman’s terms to provide education and the tools that patients need to start an ongoing conversation with their health care provider.

“The goal of the book,’’ says Dr. Church, ‘’is to empower patients to take control of their disease and to understand the best treatment options available.”