Sweet Devices on Horizon for Diabetics

PULLMAN, Wash. — One in three children born in the United States in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime, according to the American Diabetes Association.

In Washington state, some 270,000 residents have been diagnosed with diabetes, and more than 100,000 remain undiagnosed. Diabetes-related conditions in Washington alone account for more than $1 billion annually in hospitalization charges.

Early detection and effective treatment can eliminate diabetes complications such as heart and kidney disease, stroke, blindness and amputations, and dramatically reduce treatment costs.

That’s the message of R. Keith Campbell, a Washington State University professor of pharmacy and world-leading diabetes authority. He will also show off some of the latest and soon-to-come devices in diabetes management.

Campbell will present “Diabetes: How Sweet It Isn’t!” at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Harbor Club, located on the 17^th floor of the Norton Building, 801 2^nd Ave. in Seattle. Tickets are $30 per person and include lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m., with registration to begin at 11:30 a.m. To reserve a spot, visit https://www.wsu.edu/theinnovators/. Registration will continue until capacity is reached.

Campbell has devoted his career to staying up-to-the-minute on products and devices available for treatment and sharing that knowledge globally. He has authored more than 600 publications on diabetes and co-authored the book “Medications for the Treatment of Diabetes” for the American Diabetes Association.

His interest in the disease is also personal: he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes more than 56 years ago and is one the world’s longest continuous users of an insulin pump.

Teaching others how to better manage their diabetes has been his biggest contribution to people with the disease.

“I was lucky to catch it early,” he said. “What was really great was I was sent to a new diabetes specialist in Spokane, Dr. O.C. Olson, who believed that it was important to educate a person with diabetes to take care of himself and keep blood sugars as close to normal as possible.”

Campbell has been a consultant to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

A member of the College of Pharmacy faculty since 1968, he is one of four diabetes experts in the United States to be recognized with a Boehringer Mannheim/The Zitter Group “Diabetes Disease Management Leadership Award” for his impact on the care of diabetes patients. In 1990, the American Association of Diabetes Educators awarded him its Distinguished Service Award. The same year, he was named the Outstanding Pharmacy Administration Professor in the United States by the National Association of Retail Druggists. He previously served on the ADA board of directors and the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s degree in business administration, both from WSU.