Nova Scotia government won't fund insulin pumps for young diabetics

[Northerner]

Young diabetics will not be getting financial support from the province for insulin pumps, Nova Scotia's deputy minister of health told a legislature committee Wednesday.
Kevin McNamara told the public accounts committee that the Health Department carried out an assessment and determined that the money for an insulin pump program isn't available at this time.
"We're not arbitrarily turning our back on this," McNamara said.
"The advice we have received to date is not to proceed with it based on the existing programs we have in place and other priorities we have to address."
McNamara said if he had a choice, he would fund long-lasting insulin rather than pumps because it would be of greater benefit to diabetes patients.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ar...ulin-pumps-for-young-diabetics-135575478.html

McNamara said if he had a choice, he would fund long-lasting insulin rather than pumps because it would be of greater benefit to diabetes patients.

What on earth does that mean? 🙄

 

[trophywench]

Well whoever he is he knows nowt about diabetes .... however - perhaps he is thinking of the people who can't afford insulin?

If you couldn't pay for it and eg Mixtard was free ......

 

[mcdonagh47]

got to remember this is a foreign country without our NHS.

He seems to be saying the Provincial Govt has limited funds to support diabetics and given a choice he would rather subsidise the majority using Lantus and Levemir rather than a minority on more expensive pumps - make the cash available benefit the most people.

Note the suggestion to limit strips to 150 pa for non-insulin dependent T2s.

 

[trophywench]

I don't think they mean Lantus and Levemir at all - it's NBG funding that unless they also fund fast acting, is it? (Apidra, Humalog, Novorapid) because one is no good without the other.

I think they mean eg Mixtard, Insulatard, maybe Humulin?

 

[Copepod]

Slightly odd that a report about healthcare in Nova Scotia, an eastern Canadian province on Atlantic coast, is being reported by Winnipeg Free Press in Manitoba, a central Canadian prairie province.

From friends in British Columbia and Quebec, none with diabetes, but one was a physiotherapist who worked, specialising in disabled children, in Newfoundland, NWT (before it spilt into 2 territories) and BC, I know that each province decides its own priorities for health, not just diabetes - my physiotherapist friend had to give up work a few years ago, due to multiple sclerosis.#

I suspect that "long acting insulin" means "analogue long acting insulin, such as Lantus and Levemir" - utilitarianism greatest good for the greatest number principle.

 

[mcdonagh47]

I don't think they mean Lantus and Levemir at all - it's NBG funding that unless they also fund fast acting, is it?

yes it is - if Long Acting insulins are cheaper than the fast acting ones. The Provincial Govt can make its limited pennies stretch further and benefit more diabetics that way, by subsidising the cheaper insulin. Also many T2s are JUST on one nightly injection of a long acting analogue, they would also benefit from his proposal.

( Even if the long acting analogues are more expensive than the rapid acting bolus insulins it would make sense to help the max number of diabetics possible by subsidising them rather than a small minority on expensive pumps.)