People will be able to access cheaper diabetes medicines following yesterday’s announcement by the Albanese Government of an increase in the number of medicines available for two-month prescriptions. 

The announcement covers 24 diabetes medicines including Metformin and Forxiga.

Diabetes Australia Acting Group CEO, Taryn Black, said the change will save people living with diabetes up to $189 per medicine.

“Diabetes is a complex condition, and living with it can be a significant burden. The expanded list of medicines lightens the load for people living with diabetes and their families,” Ms Black said.

“Many people are taking two or three medicines to manage their condition, as well as additional medications to treat other issues such as blood pressure, heart disease, or mental health challenges.

“As the expense of these medicines piles up, we often hear from people about how hard it can be to pay for all of these prescriptions, particularly as they struggle with cost-of-living pressures.”

Rick Parsons, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 39 after two heart attacks, said he takes medications to help manage his condition every day.

“I’ve been taking Forxiga and Metformin for 15 years. I might be on this medicine for the rest of my life,” Mr Parsons said.

“A 60-day script means half as many trips to the pharmacy and half as many trips to my GP, just to fill a script for my medicine. It will save me money and time, for as long as I take this medicine.

“When you’re living with type 2 diabetes, the right medicine is so important and even being able to save a few dollars a month on my script is a welcome change. Every little bit helps.”

Both Mr Parsons and his wife, Michelle Jewels-Parsons, live with type 2 diabetes and take numerous medicines each day.

Ms Black said Diabetes Australia applauded the Government for reinvesting the money it saved from the reforms into pharmacies through new programs and payments to provide more services.

“Pharmacies are such an important part of our health system and a really important source of health advice and support for people living with diabetes,” Ms Black said.

A full list of the 184 medicines now available for longer prescriptions can be found here.

Diabetes Australia and leading researchers are in Parliament this week calling for an emergency injection of funding into vital diabetes research.

Acting Diabetes Australia Group CEO, Taryn Black, said this is a critical time for Australian diabetes research as National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding has declined by 35% over the past decade while the number of people living with diabetes has increased by 32%.

“Diabetes Australia and our partners have called on the government to invest $10 million in emergency research funding in this year’s Federal Budget to help us keep the doors open in research labs across the country,” Ms Black said.

“Research creates hope, and that’s essential for a person living with diabetes.

“Without diabetes research, insulin would not have been discovered and we would not have seen the huge advances in treatments and technologies like continuous glucose monitoring that have emerged in recent decades and changed people’s lives.

“Diabetes Australia is steadfast in our commitment to research which will ultimately improve the lives of people living with, and at risk of, diabetes.

“Over the past 10 years, Diabetes Australia has invested more than $40 million in supporting nearly 450 critical research initiatives across all types of diabetes.

“We need the government to prioritise diabetes research too because research holds the key to arresting the diabetes epidemic which has grown into a global killer,” Ms Black said.

Currently, around 2 million Australians are living with diabetes and that number is projected to reach 3.6 million by 2050.

Pre-budget submissions made to the Federal Government by Diabetes Australia, Australian Diabetes Society and Australian Diabetes Educators Association show that every year, diabetes costs the Australian health care system $3.4 billion and is responsible for 11% of hospitalisations.

“We have genuine concerns that some critical areas of research will not be able to continue beyond the next 12 months,” Ms Black said.  

“This is research that is identifying potentially ground-breaking discoveries into one of Australia’s major health priorities.”

A/Professor Sof Andrikopoulos, President of Australian Diabetes Society, said the funding decline had brought diabetes research to a dire state in Australia.

“Research is the only way we will be able to improve treatment for people living with diabetes and ultimately find a cure,” he said.

“Australian researchers are undertaking world-class studies into important areas like diabetic ketoacidosis, eye disease and type 1 screening programs for children, to name just a few.

“We must continue to support this work.

“It also makes financial sense, with economic analysis showing medical research delivers a return of almost $4 for every dollar invested.

“The diabetes community anticipates that the return on investment for diabetes research could be even higher because it generates better treatments that ultimately reduce the impact of serious complications on the health care system,” he said.  

In three pre-budget submissions, Diabetes Australia, along with ADS and ADEA, have also called for the Federal Budget to include:

• A Diabetes and Obesity Health Mission under the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
• Expanded access to continuous glucose monitoring for people with type 2 diabetes who use insulin
• A national diabetes kidney disease screening program
• A national diabetes prevention phone line
• An expansion and adaptation of the Diabetes in Schools program to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living with type 2 diabetes
• A funded Implementation Plan for the government’s National Diabetes Strategy
• MBS funding to support initiation of diabetes technology by a Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE)
• Funded CDE visits for people most at risk of diabetes-related complications
• Funded CDE visits for people with gestational diabetes mellitus both during and post-pregnancy.

Diabetes Australia today welcomes the commitment of both the Coalition and the Australian Labor Party to provide subsidised access to continuous glucose monitoring and flash glucose monitoring technology for all people living with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the election commitment was something Diabetes Australia had been advocating for over many years.

“Continuous and Flash glucose monitors are life-saving and life-changing for people living with type 1 diabetes,” Ms Cain said.

“Living with type 1 diabetes is a 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year job and this technology helps make that job a lot easier.

“It reduces the daily burden of frequent finger prick checks and means people have to spend less of their time just managing diabetes. This can translate to improved mental and emotional health and a better quality-of-life.

“It also significantly improves health outcomes and lowers a person’s risk of both short-term complications like hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels) and long-term complications including blindness, heart and kidney disease and limb amputation.

“This is smart policy that will save the health system millions in the long run.

“We made a commitment to people with type 1 diabetes that we wouldn’t stop working until every person who could benefit from this technology was able to access it.

“We’ve been working towards CGM for all for more than ten years and today’s announcement brings us closer to that goal.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the tireless and powerful advocacy from the diabetes community including the Australian Diabetes Society, the Australian Diabetes Educators Association, the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group, JDRF Australia, and of course, the people with diabetes and their families who have worked to advocate for this vital technology.

Ms Cain said that while today’s announcement was a very welcome there was still more to be done.

“It’s also important health professionals are able to offer the education and support that people need to get the best out of the technology. That’s why we are currently advocating for $526K per annum to support health professionals to deliver this training,” she said.

“We are still advocating for funding to support diabetes healthcare professionals in providing the healthcare and education to people who use the technology to help them get the best out of it.”

Continuous and Flash glucose monitors are small wearable devices that monitor glucose levels automatically, providing readings every few minutes. People with diabetes can see their glucose levels using apps on their smart phones. 

These devices reduce the need for finger prick checks and give more information to people with diabetes and their healthcare team about glucose trends and how much time they are spending within their target glucose range.

Under the existing Continuous Glucose Monitoring Initiative people with eligible concession cards, children and young people aged 21 years and over and women who are actively planning a pregnancy or pregnant are able to access fully subsidised glucose monitoring technology. Under the Coalition’s election commitment, which the ALP has agreed to match, people who are not currently eligible would be required to pay $32.50 per month to access the technology.

You can read Diabetes Australia’s full election platform here.

New data released today from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found that the Australian health system spends almost $2.5 billion a year on all types of diabetes, even before closely linked conditions like kidney and heart disease and stroke are included.

Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the figures highlighted the importance of investing early and focusing on preventing type 2 diabetes and reducing people’s risk of diabetes complications like kidney and heart disease.

“The Australian health system spends $2.5 billion per annum directly on diabetes,” Ms Cain said.

“On top of this diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease, which costs the health system more than $2 billion per annum, chronic kidney disease which costs $1.7 billion and stroke which costs $660 million.

“These four conditions combined cost the Australian healthcare system $6.86 billion every single year. 

“With gross national debt forecast to go past one trillion dollars in the coming years it is clear we need smart spending and smart policy to get better outcomes and reduce the strain on our health system.

“This means investing early in preventing type 2 diabetes and preventing complications from all types of diabetes.

“This Federal Election we are asking all sides of politics to commit to a number of priority actions including improving access to diabetes technology, better early detection of all types of diabetes, preventing diabetes-related complications and reducing the impact of diabetes in First Nations communities which would deliver huge savings for the Australia economy.

“In many cases it is about taking existing elements of the health system and building on them or tweaking them.

“Take chronic kidney disease for instance, there are excellent treatments available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that can prevent or manage kidney disease and help people avoid costly and debilitating complications like dialysis.

“These treatments work best when kidney disease is detected early but only around a quarter of all people with kidney disease get checked within recommended time frames.

“The reasons for this are complex but Diabetes Australia is confident that a $1.6 million Diabetes Kidney Disease Screening Program would boost screening rates and dramatically reduce chronic kidney disease.

“This is an example of targeted, cost-effective policy that would deliver real, long-term savings and improve health outcomes for hundreds of thousands of Australians.”

You can read Diabetes Australia’s full 2022 election platform here.

Diabetes Australia welcomed the cost-of-living measures in the Federal Budget, however the organisation was disappointed there was no funding to increase access to life-saving diabetes technology.

Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the organisation had been hopeful funding would be allocated to expand the Continuous Glucose Monitoring Initiative which currently provides free access to continuous glucose monitoring and flash glucose monitoring technology for eligible groups.

“Diabetes Australia shares the disappointment of Australia’s diabetes community that the Budget didn’t include funding to increase access to diabetes-related technology,” Ms Cain said.

“There are tens of thousands of Australians who would benefit from this technology and I’ve heard countless stories from people living with type 1 diabetes about how this technology would improve their quality of life.

“Additionally, improved access would reduce the incidence of debilitating short- and long-term diabetes complications.

“We know it remains a leading priority for people living with type 1 diabetes and we will continue to advocate for expanding access in the lead up to the Federal Election.”

Ms Cain said the organisation, along with the Australian Diabetes Educators Association and the Australian Diabetes Society was also advocating for funding to support the health professionals providing education to people with diabetes using these technologies.

“Diabetes technology is life-changing but people with diabetes need access to education and support from endocrinologists and credentialled diabetes educators to ensure they can get the best of out of it,” she said.

“So while we are grateful for the support the Government has already provided to help around half of all people with type 1 diabetes access the technology, it is important that the health professionals who are critical to the optimal use of these technologies aren’t forgotten and are appropriately reimbursed for their time and expertise.”

Ms Cain said the Budget’s cost of living measures, including lowering the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme safety net thresholds to allow people access to cheaper medicines sooner, would help ease the financial pressure of managing diabetes.

“Many people with diabetes use multiple medicines and lowering the safety net threshold could save people around $80 a year. That might not seem like a lot, but the recent Australian Health Consumer Sentiment Survey found almost one in four people could not afford to fill a prescription at some point in the past year,” Ms Cain said.

“The other cost-of-living measures in the budget will also help people with diabetes, many of whom spend thousands of dollars a year managing the condition.”

However, Ms Cain said the budget didn’t do enough to address the type 2 diabetes epidemic or to reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

“I noted with interest funding for a study to look at the feasibility of introducing restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food and drink to children,” she said.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction but we were hoping for dedicated funding to support type 2 diabetes prevention programs and initiatives aimed at reducing the risk of debilitating and costly complications including kidney and heart disease.”

Ms Cain said the upcoming Federal Election was an opportunity to secure more funding for diabetes.

“Diabetes Australia’s election platform outlines nine key actions across four areas that would have a huge impact on the lives of people with diabetes and the sustainability of our health system,” she said.

“Many of the actions we are calling for, including a Diabetes Kidney Disease Screening Program and a training program for aged care workers supporting people with diabetes, only require a small investment but would generate substantial savings for the health system.

“We understand the current tight fiscal environment makes funding new programs difficult but what we are asking for is smart spending that builds a better, more resilient health system.”

Read Diabetes Australia’s 2022 Federal Election Platform here.

A special message from Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain on Close the Gap Day:

“All Australians and Australian businesses have a role to play in closing the gap.

I am committed, and Diabetes Australia is committed to doing all we can.

Diabetes is having a devastating impact on the lives of First Nations Australians.

Australia has the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in teenagers and children in the world. It is First Nations children and teenagers who are bearing brunt of this.

The younger people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the worse the health outcomes are. Sadly, First Nations people experience higher rates of diabetes-related complications including kidney disease and limb amputation.

These are some of the reasons why diabetes is the single biggest contributor to the gap in life-expectancy between First Nations people and other Australians. 

This is unacceptable in a wealthy, developed nation like ours.

The time for action is now.

We acknowledge that to have a real impact on the epidemic of diabetes in First Nations communities we need First Nations-led policies and strategies.

We are very lucky to have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman Deanne Minniecon, a highly respected health leader, guiding us.

We’ve also just engaged one of Australia’s leading First Nations-owned consultancies to undertake the largest ever community conversation with First Nations people living with diabetes and those who care for them as well as health workers who work with First Nations people.

We care committed to listening, learning and delivering programs that lead to real and lasting change. 

Tomorrow we will be launching new education materials designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers better support people with diabetes. They’ve been developed in partnership with Australia’s top First Nations diabetes health professionals, are culturally appropriate and cover all the major aspects of diabetes management.

These are just some of the things we are doing to help close the gap and secure a better future for all Australians.”

Australia’s leading diabetes organisations welcome the Federal Government’s announcement of $10 million in funding over four years to establish the new Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovation (ACADI) at the University of Melbourne.

The ACADI will be a new virtual research centre connecting research hubs from around Australia and will link in with key industry partners and diabetes organisations to help develop new treatments, technologies and behavioural interventions to meet the challenges of the diabetes epidemic.

Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the announcement highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting people with diabetes.

“The research priorities for the Centre include diabetes-related kidney disease, peripheral neuropathy and other foot-related issues as well as acute complications of diabetes, specifically hypoglycaemia and ketoacidosis,” Ms Cain said.

“It will provide a platform to accelerate the translation of clinical research into real world therapies and technologies that improve the lives of people with diabetes.

“Diabetes Australia will be working in partnership with ACADI to ensure its research is closely aligned to the needs of people with diabetes and the diabetes workforce.

“I’d like to thank Health Minister Hon. Greg Hunt and the Federal Government for recognising how important this program is.

“I’d also like to congratulate A/Professor Elif Ekinci who will be leading ACADI. Elif is one of Australia’s leading diabetes researchers and her expertise and passion will be integral to the Centre’s success. I understand it was a highly competitive bid process, lead by Elif, and we are very pleased with the outcome.”

Australian Diabetes Society CEO A/Professor Sof Andrikopoulos said the Centre would drive innovation in diabetes research.

“We have world-class diabetes researchers in Australia and this Centre will help do exactly what its name says – accelerate innovation across all aspects of diabetes research,” A/Professor Andrikopoulos said.

“I’m excited to see the impact this has on the way we support people with diabetes in Australia.”

Australian Diabetes Educators Association President Tracey Tellam said research and innovation were crucial to meeting the challenges of the diabetes epidemic.

“Diabetes is complex and impacts every part of a person’s health. We need new treatments, therapies and approaches to ensure everyone living with diabetes can live a long, healthy and productive life. ADEA looks forward to contributing to the mission of ACADI,” Ms Tellam said.

ACADI Director, A/Professor Elif Ekinci said she was passionate about leading the Centre to deliver on its vision to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes.

“As a clinician researcher I see the first-hand impact of diabetes every day including the serious complications of the condition,” A/Professor Ekinci said.

“Working with people with diabetes fuels my passion to deliver better healthcare and support through translational research and I’m excited to work with a great team of collaborators and partners across Australia to innovate and improve the health of millions of people.”  

The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations Research Centre (ACADI) was established through Medical Research Future Fund funding from the Australian Government’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator program, delivered by MTPConnect.