I few days ago I touched on the subject of NY-area drug store chain, Duane Reade. The company established a free diabetes program a while back, offering advice, education and support groups. Duane Reade says it's expanding the program because of customer demand.

Is this part of a larger trend? Looks like it. According to yesterday's New York Times, more and more people are turning to drug stores for medical services. We're talking non-urgent things like sprains and minor infections...and diabetes care. Some are frustrated by lack of access to their regular physician. Others are having budget issues going the traditional route. It's super-convenient because you can be seen without an appointment, then get your prescription filled right there.

Drug store chains - Duane Reade, Wal-Mart, CVS and Walgreens included - are stepping up to the plate to fill the void. "Urgent Care Lite," is the tag it's been given. According to the Times, the number of these clinics has exploded in the past two years. And many feel that's a big problem because these clinics are not tightly regulated.

A $50 million wrongful death lawsuit brought against Wal-Mart by the family of a man who was allegedly given the wrong insulin prescription has been settled during mediation without admission of liability or fault. Terms of the settlement, reached last month, were kept confidential, of course. The dusty news piece is now slowly trickling into more corners of the web.

On December 13, 2005, Keith Scofield visited a Wal-Mart pharmacy in Frederick, Maryland, and ordered over-the-counter Humulin R (u-100). Instead, he was allegedly given Humulin R (u-500), a prescription drug that contains five times the insulin of the requested medication. He injected the insulin on December 20, 2005, lapsed into a diabetic coma, and died on January 2, 2006, according to the lawsuit filed by his family.John Simley, a spokesman for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart, said: "This was the best way to resolve the matter."

Of course it was. Wal-Mart won't feel a dent in its bottom line from whatever they decided to pay the man's mother and other family members. One report says that the settlement was reached "amicably" by both parties. Well, sure, why not take the money and run? But I doubt there were any clap routines or smiley-faced greetings. The lesson here? Whether you get your insulin at a brick-and-mortar pharmacy or wrapped in pounds of dry ice and bubble wrap (green living anyone?) in a package left by your mail carrier, you better check the label twice if you think your life is worth more than a settlement from a behemoth discount store.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has settled out-of-court a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a man killed by an insulin overdose. The man, Keith Scofield, died in January 2006 after receiving a dose of insulin that was far too strong for him.

Scofield normally used a low-strength insulin to treat his Type 2 diabetes. In December 2005, staff at a Virginia Wal-Mart mistakenly gave him Humulin R (u-500), rather than the Humulin R (u-100) that he had apparently requested. Scofield did not realize he had been given the wrong dose. He went ahead and injected himself with the medication, then fell into a coma. Sadly, he died twelve days later.

The Associated Press report on the subject says that no admission of fault or liability was made by either party. In any case, Wal-Mart is happy and with good reason since the family, presumably in exchange for a generous sum of money, didn't go public with the details. Said a Wal-Mart company spokesman of the settlement: "this was the best way to resolve the matter."

"1 day, 1 cause, 1 goal," is the slogan assigned to the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) new fundraiser: "Step Out to Fight Diabetes." The big annual event is basically a retooled version of what the ADA used to call "America's Walk for Diabetes." The plan is to hold walks in two hundred American cities on various days over the course of a couple of weeks this coming fall.

So what's involved, you ask? It's a ten-mile walking course designed to be easy enough for about any fitness level. The twist: it requires some stair climbing. Philadelphia participants will climb ten staircases in landmark buildings, such as Philly's City Hall and the majestic front steps of the Philly Museum of Art (immortalized in the movie Rocky). Trotting up and downstairs, you're supposed to contemplate and be inspired by the "peaks and valleys" encountered by diabetics the world over.

The ADA has launched a very professional campaign to publicize "Step Out" with press releases and a snazzy website. You can register to participate on the website, and they'll send you a cute registration pack. You can also check out health stats, facts about the staircases involved in the event, and read true life diabetes stories on the site. By joining in, the ADA says you will be helping "find a cure" and also help raise awareness in your own community. To the former: maybe. To the latter: sure - awareness-raising is always a good thing.

Funding in support of the "Step Out" campaign comes courtesy of big-name, big-business donors like Kmart (Pharmacy), RiteAid, Wal-mart/Sam's Club, and Equal.

Disgraced former Wal-Mart executive Tom Coughlin (pictured) faced time in prison for stealing from the retailing giant. However, Coughlin's doctor told the judge at a sentencing hearing on Friday that Coughlin is too "fragile" to go to jail. Coughlin, although only fifty-seven years old, suffers from diabetes as well as cardiac disease, sleep apnea, arterial blockage and other health problems. The judge agreed with the doctor and instead of sending Coughlin to jail he has ordered him to serve five years of probation, to pay a $50,000 fine and to pay $411,000 in restitution to Wal-Mart and the Internal Revenue Service.

So Coughlin admits to having been a bad boy. But how bad was he exactly? Well, bad, but not as bad as some of the other corporate criminals in the news lately. Coughlin was convicted of stealing money, merchandise and gift cards, although none of what he stole came close in value to his former earnings as Wal-Mart's vice chairman. In an nice piece of irony, Coughlin got his start back in 1978 as Wal-Mart's theft prevention officer!

Speaking of supermarket shopping (see my previous blog), it has been announced that Wal-Mart is joining in efforts to improve diabetes awareness. The superstore chain is partnering with the television network dLife to do this. Called the Wal-Mart and SAM'S CLUB Diabetes Aware & Care Program, the effort will consist of in-store diabetes education sessions and dLife video airings at over 2,200 store locations. The sessions will take place around the country during August, September and October.

I guess this is part of Wal-Mart's massive new campaign to improve it's somewhat tarnished image with many Americans. Now, maybe I'm being unfair, but I would rather see Wal-Mart give its employees proper health insurance coverage. (I wonder how many of Wal-Mart's uninsured employees have diabetes that is going untreated because they can't afford medical care?) Now that would help improve diabetes care in this country!