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.

When The Diet Channel reviewed Fiber 35, they took the diplomatic approach, citing good and not so good advice. Good advice including: get plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, eat reasonable portions, and exercise. The problem is that this excellent, evidence-based message is buried in hyperbolic language and some superfluous advice.

Fiber 35 emphasizes the mechanisms by which fiber and fiber-containing foods can help improve disease markers (cholesterol, blood sugar, and immunity), while helping to control weight and appetite. A concept enjoying heavy rotation and loose interpretations nowadays is the subject of toxins. Fiber 35 claims that toxins are relieved by eating fiber -- 35 grams a day or more. Fat is addressed as being relatively inactive from a metabolic standpoint. However there is emerging research (not addressed in Fiber 35) demonstrating that fat is active to the point of a separate hormone targeting the metabolic response. As the diabetic community grows, the day will soon arrive when local CVS and Walgreens pharmacies carry the next endocrine simulating prescription.

Until that day arrives (and I continue to pray that capitalistic affairs of Big Pharma slow down like the alimentary canal without a trace of fiber) - look toward Mother Nature for the most organic answer to our metabolic quagmire. Thanks to Brenda Watson for Fiber 35 and The Diet Channel for their comprehensive review. To read the full article, click here.

Scarborough Research, the leading local market research firm for identifying consumer and retail behaviors in the United States, took the liberty of compiling a list of the top local markets selling diabetic medications in the last 12 months. A dubious distinction it may be, these locations burn like a flame for the moths of diabetes product resellers.

Knoxville, TN, Memphis, TN, and Columbus, OH round out the top 3 local markets for diabetes medication purchasers. The Scarborough analysis also finds that Walgreens is the number one national drug store brand among diabetes medication purchasers. More than 3.1 million, or 18%, of these consumers purchased prescription drugs at Walgreens during the past year. CVS (17%), Wal-Mart (16%), Rite Aid (8%), and Eckerd Drug (4%) complete the top national drug store brands among diabetes medication purchasers.

In Charleston, Wal-Mart is the top store among diabetes medication purchasers, as over one-quarter (27%) of these consumers purchased prescription drugs there during the past year. Rite-Aid (20%), CVS (14%), Fruth Pharmacy (8%), and Kroger (5%) are other leading stores among diabetes medication purchasers.