According to a recent analysis published in the British Medical Journal, sugar-sweetened soda drinks may be the next big target for a public health awareness campaign.

As a pharmacist who takes public education and prevention seriously, I think this is a study that should not be ignored.

If the conclusions of this meta-analysis are correct, the consumption of sugary soda drinks will contribute to 2 million more Type 2 diabetes cases over the next 10 years in the U.S. It makes me wonder if soda consumption is nearly as dangerous to our health as cigarettes.

The interesting thing about this study was that the increased incidence of Type 2 diabetes was unrelated to obesity. We all know that obesity will put a patient at greater risk for developing diabetes, and that there are about 29 million patients with diabetes already in the U.S.

But this latest study looked for evidence of a diabetes diagnosis apart from obesity … and they found it. Maybe this helps to explain the development of diabetes in the 20 percent of such patients who have a normal weight.

But how could soda cause diabetes in individuals with an otherwise healthy weight?

One suggestion is that the spikes in blood sugar caused by soda (a single 12-ounce can may have more than 9 teaspoons of sugar) may lead to insulin resistance over time, resulting in Type 2 diabetes.

Another theory is that the drinks may cause a change in our gut bacteria, possibly leading to disease. Whatever the cause, what we drink, and not simply how much we weigh, may play a role in determining our future health.

So what does this have to do with pharmacists and pharmacies? Not too long ago, a major U.S. pharmacy chain decided it would pull the plug on cigarette sales in an effort to position themselves as a more healthy business.

It makes me wonder if sugary soda is next. Our healthcare system is already under significant financial pressure. Diabetes is arguably one of the most expensive long-term diseases to manage.

Pharmacists and pharmacies interested in health education should, in my opinion, be prepared to encourage patients away from soda and toward more healthy choices.

A simple way to encourage people away from sugary soda in the pharmacy is by explicitly encouraging a full glass of water with every dosage of medications.

Are your patients taking medications twice a day? Recommend an extra full glass of water at every dosing interval. We often do this for short-term courses of antibiotics, but it is worth reminding patients about doing this with all their meds.

Not only that, but some other beverages may interfere with medication absorption or distribution. We all know about the list of medications that may interact with grapefruit juice.

Also, there are some drugs that should not be taken with dairy products like milk. Acidic juices may alter the extent of absorption of some drugs. Some medications may increase blood levels of caffeine by inhibiting its metabolism. And of course, there are lots of reasons to avoid or reduce consumption of alcohol when being treated with certain medications as well.

I’m not suggesting we invent a new "don’t take with soda" auxiliary label to be added to our prescription bottles.

But if we are preaching about the dangers of cigarette smoking in our pharmacies, medical offices and hospitals — we ought to at least consider reminding patients that sugary soda has disease implications as well. If doing so could prevent a few more cases of diabetes down the road, our efforts will have been rewarded.