Already a member? Click here to login.
Already a member? Click here to login.
Two recent changes to Federal Government funding arrangements may be causing concern for people with diabetes. Firstly, as reported in The Australian (3 June 2015), some people with non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes may only be able to access blood glucose test strips for six months. Secondly, major Australian newspapers are reporting that under changes contained in the 6th Community Pharmacy Agreement (signed between the Federal Government and the Pharmacy Guild last week) prices of diabetes related drugs, including metformin, may rise by up to 41 per cent on July 1. There is a lack of clarity around both of these issues which may be helping to stoke community concern.
The Federal Government has announced a decision to limit access to blood glucose testing strips for people with type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin to manage their diabetes.
Please be assured, there is no immediate change and we understand any change will not come into effect until 1 July 2016 – over one year away.
ADEA is working with Diabetes Australia to address this issue and does not support this decision and we are talking to the Federal Government about how this will be implemented to ensure people with type 2 diabetes get the support they need and are able to self-monitor their diabetes. Specifically ADEA is advocating for Credentialled Diabetes Educators to be able to approve the use of strips as they are able to register people with diabetes onto the NDSS.
We understand there will be some exemptions but we don’t yet fully understand how this new decision will work.
The government has released the reports of the post market reviews conducted in 2012-13 and the reports are available at on the PBS website. The report, Post-Market Review of Products Used in the Management of Diabetes, Report to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, Part 1: Blood Glucose Test Strips, July 2013, outlines the options on which the changes to test strip access are based.
If you want to express your concern to the Government – please e-mail or write to the Minister for Health, Hon Sussan Ley, at Minister.Ley@health.gov.au
We understand the price of metformin will rise under the 6th Community Pharmacy Agreement signed between the Federal Government and the Pharmacy Guild last week.
Diabetes Australia is seeking clarification from the Federal Government about how much the price of diabetes medicines will rise and what the impact will be on people with diabetes.
Note: Metformin brands available in Australia are:
Two recent changes to Federal Government funding arrangements may be causing concern for people with diabetes. Firstly, as reported in The Australian (3 June 2015), some people with non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes may only be able to access blood glucose test strips for six months. Secondly, major Australian newspapers are reporting that under changes contained in the 6th Community Pharmacy Agreement (signed between the Federal Government and the Pharmacy Guild last week) prices of diabetes related drugs, including metformin, may rise by up to 41 per cent on July 1. There is a lack of clarity around both of these issues which may be helping to stoke community concern.
The Federal Government has announced a decision to limit access to blood glucose testing strips for people with type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin to manage their diabetes.
Please be assured, there is no immediate change and we understand any change will not come into effect until 1 July 2016 – over one year away.
ADEA is working with Diabetes Australia to address this issue and does not support this decision and we are talking to the Federal Government about how this will be implemented to ensure people with type 2 diabetes get the support they need and are able to self-monitor their diabetes. Specifically ADEA is advocating for Credentialled Diabetes Educators to be able to approve the use of strips as they are able to register people with diabetes onto the NDSS.
We understand there will be some exemptions but we don’t yet fully understand how this new decision will work.
The government has released the reports of the post market reviews conducted in 2012-13 and the reports are available at on the PBS website. The report, Post-Market Review of Products Used in the Management of Diabetes, Report to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, Part 1: Blood Glucose Test Strips, July 2013, outlines the options on which the changes to test strip access are based.
If you want to express your concern to the Government – please e-mail or write to the Minister for Health, Hon Sussan Ley, at Minister.Ley@health.gov.au
We understand the price of metformin will rise under the 6th Community Pharmacy Agreement signed between the Federal Government and the Pharmacy Guild last week.
Diabetes Australia is seeking clarification from the Federal Government about how much the price of diabetes medicines will rise and what the impact will be on people with diabetes.
Note: Metformin brands available in Australia are:
