Diabetes funding from July

Pharmac has announced that continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps will be fully funded for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) from July this year.

Dr Rosemary Hall, Endocrinologist and President of the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes, says this is “arguably the biggest day for people with diabetes ever in Aotearoa since the arrival of insulin. There will be great excitement amongst the diabetes community. The technology is life-changing for people with T1D, reducing diabetes distress and medical complications”.

When CGMs and insulin pumps are used in combination, they function as an artificial pancreas. Glucose levels are easier to manage and the lives of people with T1D and their whānau are transformed. The high cost of this technology means it has been out of reach for many, increasing the gap between those who can afford it and those who cannot.

“New Zealand conducted research shows that when all people have access to these devices, outcomes become equal. After years of campaigning, and seeing increasing inequity for people with T1D, we now have the devices to provide the best standard of care for all those with T1D in Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Dr Hall. With anticipated demand for CGM and insulin pumps to be high, diabetes services will be working hard to build the workforce to maximise the potential of this technology.

The proposed funding options will be open for public consultation for one month. The NZSSD encourages all people with an interest in these technologies to participate in this consultation.

Contact
Dr Rosemary Hall, President, New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes
E: president@nzssd.org.nz