A national roadshow highlighting opportunities for young people with type 1 diabetes to access continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology will be undertaken in the coming weeks by the Danii Foundation.
The move comes in the wake of Health Minister Greg Hunt's announcement on Sat (PD breaking news) that the National Diabetes Services Scheme will fund CGM systems for all eligible type 1 diabetics under the age of 21, in a package worth $54 million.
Subsidised access to the products will be provided alongside other NDSS items which include insulin pen needles and syringes, blood glucose test strips, urine ketone test strips and insulin pump consumables.
A CGM is a small wearable device that measures glucose levels 24 hours a day with an alarm to let the user know if they are out of range, stable or on the way up or down.
They reduce the frequency of daily finger prick tests, with some models working in conjunction with a compatible insulin pump.
To access CGM sensors and transmitters through the NDSS the child or young person will need to be assessed by an authorised health professional to determine whether they meet specific criteria and to ensure the use of CGM will help as part of their overall diabetes management program.
A CGM Eligibility Assessment Form is now available for download at diabetesaustralia.com.au.
"This will be life-changing for children, young people and their families," Hunt said.
The program was developed to fulfil a promise made during last year's federal election, with the government since working with expert endocrinologists, paediatricians and diabetes educators, as well as Diabetes Australia, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Danii Foundation.
Danii Foundation co-founder Donna Meads-Barlow is pictured above at the announcement with the Health Minister.
For details of the CGM national roadshow events and to register see www.danii.org.au.
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