CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. is kicking off several initiatives to help the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) national Stop Diabetes campaign.

The 4,700-store drug chain is offering incentives for patients to take diabetes risk tests, distributing diabetes guides at all of its pharmacy counters and hosting more than 1,200 free diabetes clinics during next month’s American Diabetes Month effort.

“There’s a misconception that diabetes is life altering but not life threatening,” comments Robert Thompson, executive vice president of pharmacy at Rite Aid. “Unfortunately, this is not true. Diabetes doubles the risk of heart attack or stroke and kills more Americans each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

“That is why it is so important for us to empower our patients and associates to help fight this devastating disease,” he says.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10% of American adults have diabetes, including nearly a quarter of people over age 60.

Until Christmas, the pharmacies in Rite Aid stores are offering free 20-page diabetes guides that summarize the disease’s risk factors and give readers simple steps to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In addition, Rite Aid is promoting awareness and the ADA’s online diabetes risk test by giving members of its wellness+ customer rewards program 10 points if they take the online risk assessment test. And wellness+ members who spend $30 on select diabetes products during the three-month campaign get $5 off their next purchase.

Next month 1,200 Rite Aid stores will host Diabetes Solutions Days offering free blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure screenings and body mass index (BMI) readings. Visitors to the annual clinics also can try free samples of over-the-counter medications and other diabetes products, discuss diabetes management with a Rite Aid pharmacist and get a flu vaccination.

The drug chain reports that, according to the CDC, flu and pneumonia account for the deaths of 10,000 to 30,000 diabetes patients every year.