Dave: I wrote to PHARMAC
Date: 18 March 2022 at 12:01:05 NZDT
To: enquiry@PHARMAC.govt.nz
Subject: CGM
This is a follow up to a recent phone inquiry to you.
I am a long-term insulin dependent Type 2 diabetic on National Super.
My blood sugar levels blew out and my doctor referred me to the Dunedin Diabetes Clinic. I was lucky to receive a trial Freestyle Libre for 2 weeks. This system changed my BS from averaging well over 12 (with peaks of up to 26) to averaging below 10. This turn around happened within a week and was quite miraculous. The change that came about was due to instant monitoring and trend information.
If at 3am I was high-ish I could check whether BS was rising or falling and had a confidence I wasn’t going to low while sleeping.
Yes, my normal sleep commences well after 12 due to many past sleeping lows. Mainly due to a high meter reading that was reducing- current meter only gives the present value. As such I have woken (fortunately) to very bad lows (worst was 1.8). Hence, I stay up to after 12 each night.
I get very frustrated with “diabetic experts” lumping Type 2 Insulin Dependants with general Type 2 people. My body reacts the same as type 1 in that I am not making sufficient Insulin to regulate my BS.
If you fund Type 1 only then I am still in the current meter nightmare.
Please consider the following in your decision making:
Fund T 1 & T2 (insulin dependant)
Use your purchasing power and monopoly to obtain Libre Mk3 meters - selling same price in Europe & USA. Mk3 is a superior system and more eco-friendly.
Please note not everyone needs a CGM tied to a pump system. See my 2 week results below.
Dexcom is almost double the price I presume for pumping it is a better system.
Being a pensioner I cannot afford the Libre system: even though I can see it being life changing and forestall diabetic complications.