Addabbo Urges Constituents to Apply for CB Seats

Advances In Diabetes Letting Technology Help

Pharmacists share the same responsibility as doctors who need to keep reading and studying to keep up with medical advances for the good of their patients.

On of the most prominent diseases that face a majority of our patients is diabetes.

e monitoring of glucose is a critical component for these patients and as diabetes technology continues to advance, more and more tools are becoming available to patients to help them manage their disease. Glucose monitors, insulin pens or pumps are all available on the market and advances in these devices are helping patients deal with the stresses of keeping diabetes under control.

Patients will be able to keep be er records through the use of smart insulin pens that track time, date and insulin doses delivered.

e role of pharmacists is expected to increase with the advent of these new technologies, helping patients navigate their way through a bevy of treatment options that can make their lives much more livable while providing safe, e ective and cost conscious options for living with diabetes.

By Forum Staff

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Monday urged his constituents to apply for a seat on their community board.

Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. is now accepting applications from quali ed, civic-minded individuals interested in si ing on one of Queens’ 14 Community Boards, which play an important advisory role in considering land and zoning matters, city service delivery and more.

e 14 community boards across Queens are comprised of up to 50 volunteer, unsalaried members serving staggered two-year terms. Community board members are appointed by the Queens Borough President, in accordance with the City Charter, with half of the appointments being nominated by the City Council members representing their respective Community Districts. Community boards play an important advisory role in considering land use and zoning ma ers in their districts. Each board holds full membership meetings every month while also holding hearings and issuing recommendations about the City budget, municipal service delivery and many other ma ers that impact their communities.

“Being a part of your community board is a great way to get involved in your community and make real changes for your neighborhood. From advising on land development projects to recommending money for park upgrades and so much more, Community Board members play a major role in transforming where they live,” Addabbo said. “Many elected o cials got their start in the political world with a spot on their local community board. If you are interested in civics and want to have a positive e ect on your community, you should consider applying for a seat on your community board!” e deadline to apply for a position on your Community Board is February 16. To apply, visit h ps://queensbp.org/communityboards/.

Before becoming an elected o cial in 2002, Addabbo served as a long-standing member of Community Board 10.

To be eligible to serve on a Queens Community Board, you must be a resident of New York City and must live, work, or have a professional or other signi cant interest in that board’s district.

One such device introduced by Abbo in 2017 was the FreeStyle Libre Glucose Monitoring System, a cu ing edge device that uses a sensor placed on the upper arm allowing patients to trace their blood glucose levels throughout the day. Market executives expect that more patch pumps will hit the shelves over the next few years as well.

Another innovative technology is the ability to electronically track patient data. Patients and health professionals can keep diaries and logs for insulin, diet, activity and blood glucose levels through the use of wireless glucose meters which are compatible with their Smartphone’s.

In the future medical experts expect that their industry will advance toward what are known as closed loop systems or arti cial pancreas systems whose goal is to copy the activity of a normal, healthy body.

Technologists are working on non invasive ways to monitor glucose and Apple is included in the industry giants said to be working on this type of device, although no plans have been disclosed as of yet.

If you have questions on any of these technologies and would like to nd out how one or more of them may t into your lifestyle, you are welcome to bring your questions to us. Counting on your local pharmacist for management of your diabetes is something you should not be afraid to take advantage of.

Until next week…

For your family’s prescription needs, please call CROSS BAY CHEMIST at 718-659-9500 or 718-880-1644