August 26, 2020
JDRF’s attention has been focused on Canada’s west coast increasingly as the BC government inches closer to a decision on whether or not to cover continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and flash glucose monitoring (FGM) systems. BC Pharmacare commissioned a health technology assessment on these technologies more than a year ago but the results have yet to be released.
Things began heating up this spring for JDRF’s #AccessForAll campaign with youth Advocate Sage Stobbe’s testimony to BC’s pre-budget committee in support of JDRF’s 2021 Pre-Budget Submission studying these technologies for more than a year now. The Victoria teen testified about the daily “battles” she and others with type 1 diabetes (T1D) face against “unpredictable high and low blood sugars”. She also appealed to them on a cost-benefit basis pointing out that she often uses up to 15 blood strips in a single day, much higher than the cost of sensors for either FGM or CGM. Listen to Sage’s testimony here (she comes on around 08:10:30 am).
This summer JDRF made formal written submissions to the Canadian Agency for Drugs Technology and Health with respect to two different draft reviews of flash glucose monitoring, the first summarizing clinical and cost effectiveness evidence, and the second based on feedback from a panel of clinicians.
We’ve also partnered with Diabetes Canada and Type 1 Together to develop a joint submission to the BC Pharmacare Your Voice patient consultation that was launched this August. The three diabetes organizations met with officials from BC Pharmaceutical Services Division via Skype to better understand the process and contribute feedback on behalf of the diabetes community.
Do you live in BC and have type 1 diabetes? Contribute your feedback in the Your Voice patient survey. If you’re a caregiver, the BC government would like to hear from you as well. Have your say via the caregiver survey.
