Diabetes Australia has welcomed the inclusion of $243.5 million over four years from 2018-19 (and $84.1 million per year ongoing) to support people with diabetes and the expansion of access to new glucose monitoring technologies.

Diabetes Australia CEO Professor Greg Johnson said it was very pleasing that the continuous glucose monitoring program, first announced in 2016 and extended recently by the Government, will form part of the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) from 1 January 2019.

“It is very important that these new glucose monitoring devices are accessible through the NDSS as this ensures people with diabetes across the nation, no matter where they live, can access these life changing devices,” Professor Johnson said.

“The NDSS is administered with the assistance of Diabetes Australia and currently over 1.3 million Australians are voluntarily registered with the scheme and through this they can access the right diabetes products for their needs and get the support, information and education to help them self manage their diabetes and live well.”

“We have worked hard to ensure the rapid implementation of the first phase of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) access for children and young people with type 1 diabetes which started from 1 April 2017 and within the first year over 8,000 children and families had been able to access these devices at no cost to them.”

“We are very pleased that, from 1 March 2019 the CGM program will be expanded to include women with type 1 diabetes who are pregnant, breastfeeding or actively planning pregnancy; people with type 1 diabetes aged 21 years or older who have concessional status, and who have a high clinical need such as experiencing recurrent severe hypoglycaemic events; and children and young people with conditions similar to type 1 diabetes who require insulin.”

The options for people with diabetes are also being extended from 1 March 2019 with the new flash glucose monitoring system product also being listed as part of the continuous glucose monitoring program to provide patients with more choice in how they manage their diabetes.

“We are also very pleased that, from 1 December 2018, hundreds of thousands of people with diabetes registered with the NDSS will have access to cheaper products on the NDSS such as blood glucose test strips and insulin delivery devices,” Professor Johnson said.