Diabetes Australia applauds the decision by Health Minister Greg Hunt and the Federal Government to list Ryzodeg on the PBS from 30 July 2018.

Ryzodeg is a combination of ultra-long acting and rapid-acting insulin delivered in a once-daily injection that will eliminate the need for multiple daily injections and make diabetes management easier and less intrusive for some people.

Insulin injections are one of the most intrusive parts of living with diabetes. All people living with type 1 diabetes who are not using insulin pumps and many people with type 2 diabetes have to inject themselves with insulin multiple times during the day.

The dosage of these multiple insulin injections has to be adjusted to take into account the consumption of food and physical activity. This can be complex and unrelenting. People with diabetes do this 365 days a year.

Ryzodeg has also been demonstrated to reduce hypoglycaemic incidents – dangerously low blood glucose levels which can lead to coma – by up to 20%.

Managing blood glucose levels can be difficult but it is the cornerstone of diabetes management and critical to the prevention of long-term diabetes-related complications like limb amputation, blindness, kidney and heart disease and others.

Recent data shows that only 50% of Australians with diabetes are meeting blood glucose targets so it is important they can access the medicines that support optimal blood glucose management.

Optimal blood glucose management reduces the short- and long-term healthcare costs as well as improving quality of life outcomes for the person diabetes both in terms of their physical and mental health.

It is expected that around 23,700 patients will benefit from the listing.

Without the PBS they would normally pay around $930 per year for Ryzodeg.

Through the PBS they will pay a maximum of $39.50 per script, with concessional patients, including pensioners, paying just $6.40.