PITTSBURGH -- Giant Eagle will announce a partnership to offer five diabetes prescription medications at no cost to customers.

The medications are used to treat Type 2 diabetes and include Glimepiride, Glipizide, Glyburide, Metformin and Clorpropamide.

The free prescriptions are part of the Stop Diabetes program created by the American Diabetes Association.

As part of the program, Giant Eagle will also offer free diabetes screenings, consultations with a pharmacy diabetes care specialist and free introductory nutrition classes led by registered dietitians.

To receive the free medications, patients should bring their prescriptions to any participating Giant Eagle pharmacy. They will receive up to a 90-day supply of a qualifying, generic medication.

There is no limit on the number of prescriptions that can be filled, and the program covers new prescriptions as well as refills.

Giant Eagle representatives said they are offering the most commonly prescribed medications for type-2 diabetes, which according to national statistics, is on the rise.

"We're trying to reach people so they can take a look at their diet and say, ‘Hey, if I do a few things I can tweak it, I can increase my exercise and I can reduce my risk factors,’ " said Giant Eagle nutritionist Judy Dodd.

Last year, Giant Eagle began offering the nine most popular antibiotics for free. Since then officials said they’ve filled nearly one million prescriptions and saved customers nearly $6 million.

The new program also offers free diabetes screenings and nutrition classes to help people who live with the disease.

---

• E-Mail Newsletter: Get The Latest News Sent To Your E-Mail!
• Mobile: Get WPXI Headlines On Your Phone, iPhone, More
• RSS: Add Us To Your Page!

---