AID Access in Australia | Diabetogenic

Aren’t we very happy to see some great news in the world of T1D technology this week? Our New Zealand friends across the ditch. Announcement from the Medical Regulatory Commission Pharmac CGM and automated insulin dosing devices (AIDs) will be available to everyone with type 1 diabetes.Meanwhile, a new initiative has begun this week. National rollout of AID in England and Wales over five years It recommends allowing access to children and adolescents (under 18 years of age) with T1D, pregnant women with T1D, and adults with T1D with A1c >7%.

So where does Australia stand in terms of affordable access to automated insulin dosing devices for people with T1D?

Let’s start by highlighting the positives. We have a lot to be thankful for here in Australia. NDSS continues to be a bright light for Australians living with diabetes. Syringes and nibs are free at NDSS collection points, and BGL strips are subsidized. Since 2004, insulin pump supplies have been listed in his NDSS, and CGM sensors and transmitters have been subsidized since 2022. Insulin is heavily subsidized by PBS.

But even with these benefits, diabetes remains costly and the playing field is not level. Pumps remain out of reach for many Australians.Do not have private health insurance or do not qualify for government funding insulin pump program, people with T1D need to find up to $10,000 for an insulin pump. This is simply unaffordable and means an Australian with T1D cannot access her AID.

Now that AID offers real life-changing benefits and significantly reduces the burden of diabetes, we need to ensure that this technology is available to all people with T1D who want it, not just those who can afford it. . That means it’s time to fairly fund the missing piece of the AID puzzle: the pumps.

A fire was lit. From a small meeting at ATTD in Florence to a quick catch-up back home, coffee and phone calls, the excitement really started. People with diabetes are at the heart of this work, working closely with motivated and determined healthcare professionals and diabetes community organizations. Let’s come together to focus on what needs to be done: affordable insulin pumps, so that every type 1 diabetic in Australia can choose her AID. And the good news is that there appears to be an appetite for this from policymakers as well.

So what can we learn from recent successes in New Zealand and the UK? Well, that’s exactly what we know from previous advocacy experiences and victories here in Australia. A unified, multi-stakeholder approach is critical, with clarity and consistency on this demand from people living with diabetes, community groups, diabetes organizations, professional organizations, researchers and industry. We need simple and effective communication on this issue. Community drives momentum. This has always been the case, but it is essential to recognize it. Using evidence to support why AID should be available to all her T1D patients is important and pairs perfectly with sharing examples from real-life experiences to highlight the benefits of the technology. Heart and soul.

With this initiative already well-established and driven by so many people, we will hear a lot from the Australian diabetes community about fair AID and access to pumps in the coming months. It is inevitable. Look out for grassroots efforts to address this issue and community groups to get involved. We know we can accomplish this by funding his CGM for all T1D patients, by finding new ways to fund Omnipod, and by keeping Fiasp on PBS. Masu. (And, going back even further, to get pump supplies at NDSS.)

Community is essential to getting this across the line. Once again, we need people with diabetes to find the courage to write letters, meet with their local MPs, make noise and show why this is necessary. T1D patients and their families all have a role to play here. If you’re lucky enough to be on AID already, meet your local congressman and tell him how AID has changed your life. If you haven’t accessed it, please write why you found it useful. In my case, how much time have I regained diabetes-free, have much less low blood pressure, and have an A1c in the “non-diabetic” range, which evidence suggests reduces my risk of developing diabetes. I talk. Expensive complications. But most importantly, it has significantly reduced the burden of my diabetes, which has made me happier and more productive. And I want that for everyone with T1 D too.

P.S. A quick word (or two) about language. Media reports, particularly in the UK, have incorrectly referred to the technology as an “artificial pancreas.” What we’re talking about is an automated insulin dosing device (or hybrid closed-loop system). There are several reasons why getting words right is important. The term artificial pancreas is not an accurate term to describe what this technology is. It overstates its functionality and may lead people to think this technology is a cure for T1D. Additionally, we underestimate the work that people with disabilities do to advance technology. For more information on why it’s important to get the terminology right, he discusses the same issue in this article I wrote in 2015, and again in his article from almost exactly two years ago).