Good food is medicine

A smart ‘farmacy’ program for diabetes patients

The connections between poverty, poor diet and bad health are well known but difficult to address. The beauty of Allegheny Health Network’s new plan to combat Type 2 diabetes is its simplicity: Put fresh food options in front of economically disadvantaged patients and see whether that helps them better manage their blood-glucose levels. If successful, the initiative portends a significant shift in combating one of the nation’s biggest health threats.

Patients of limited means may gravitate to pre-packaged, high-carbohydrate foods that are less expensive and more readily available than fresh items. Think of the many small Western Pennsylvania communities where a convenience store — full of potato chips and other unhealthy snacks — is the main shopping outlet. Bad eating habits increase the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and related problems, such as heart disease and neuropathy in the feet and hands. Diabetes is one of the nation’s top killers.

But it’s a manageable disease. While those with Type 2 diabetes often take pills or insulin, a commitment to healthy eating also can help control blood-glucose levels. Borrowing an idea that has shown success in patients at the Montour Countybased Geisinger health system, Allegheny Health Network has opened a “food pharmacy,” or “farmacy,” at its West Penn Hospital campus in Bloomfield to provide fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, beans and other healthy staples to diabetic patients who may be unable to afford nutritious foods. The farmacy will be supplied by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

With a doctor’s referral, these patients may visit the farmacy to stock up on two or three days of food. They will be eligible for return visits over the next six months, and doctors can extend participation beyond that. They will also be eligible for dietary counseling that they can put into play when picking up groceries elsewhere and preparing meals at home. The Geisinger program requires 15 hours of education, which demonstrates commitment by both sides to the program. It’s all at no cost to the patients and, for now at least, their insurers. Eventually, the health system plans to open farmacies at other sites and expand participation to a broader pool of patients.

Disadvantaged patients already may be eligible for free, healthy foods at a food bank or pantry. However, they may have a difficult time getting there or figuring out which offerings are best for them. Getting groceries in a health care setting may help patients better grasp the “food as medicine” concept, and the farmacy’s counselors will help them design disease-specific diets.

Patients who participated in the Geisinger program have seen significant improvement in blood-glucose levels. If the Allegheny Health Network initiative also is successful, similar programs likely will begin popping up elsewhere, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, helping to control health care costs and leading to overall healthier lifestyles.

People who eat right feel better. And unlike the medications for Type 2 diabetes, fresh fruits and vegetables carry no risk of nasty side effects.