Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is aware of these discontinuations and has already issued Medicines Supply Notifications to healthcare professionals for some of them.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is asking patients who use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or insulin pump to report any safety problem with their device through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme without delay.
Although it is still only Autumn, the flu season is coming and people with diabetes are at increased risk of developing complications of flu and difficulties with the impact flu may have on their diabetes. Flu is a respiratory virus and causes symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and can progress to more serious illnesses, such as pneumonia.
Please click here to read more about ‘flu, and how it can affect people with diabetes
IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION
(AutoPen Classic supplied by Owen Mumford)
You may be aware that Owen Mumford plan to discontinue their AutoPen Classic reusable, insulin delivery pens which are compatible with our following Hypurin (porcine insulin) products:
Please note there is no immediate need for patients currently using Autopen Classic insulin pens to change their devices.
The deepening crisis in Ukraine means that there is an increasingly desperate need to help people trying to live with diabetes. It is hard to believe that not only are the people of Ukraine having to fight for their country and freedom, but they also are in desperate need all their diabetes supplies. As the bombing continues, pharmacies close, hospitals run out of supplies and supply routes targeted.
Thanks to the help of our members, healthcare professionals and many people who have become aware of the support we give to people with diabetes in Ukraine, we are still receiving lots of diabetes items.
We value all of the feedback left by our members and we want to say THANK YOU for all of your lovely comments!
To receive your information pack, become a member here
NICE recommends life changing technology is rolled out to people with type 1 diabetes
An announcement of the recommendations was made on 7 November 2023 at NICE’s annual conference in Manchester by NICE chief executive Dr Sam Roberts.
Thousands of people with type 1 diabetes could be offered wearable technology to help them manage their condition following the publication of final draft guidance by NICE.
This new booklet is designed to help you through some of the confusing and complicated aspects of diet and the reasons why, what, and how much we eat are so important for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. It provides you with information about various diets, food labelling, weight loss, the importance of food groups and much more.
Semaglutide for early onset Type 1 diabetes – but a very small study…
In a small study involving only 10 people, semaglutide, a Type 2 drug, was given to people with Type 1 diabetes soon after the diagnosis. This led to no need for mealtime insulin in all patients and no need for basal insulin in most, along with improved glycaemic control. (The New England Journal of Medicine. September 2023)
Before building up our hopes, we have to recognise that this is a very small study and a much larger study is needed. In addition, we have to question whether there could be adverse effects.
On 9th May 2023, the Government and NHS announced an overhaul of primary care across England with the aim of making it easier for patients to contact their GP and end the 8am rush.
NHS patients in England with Type 1 diabetes are now eligible for a free continuous glucose monitor (CGM) after the health service secured a new ‘cost-effective’ deal.
Earlier this year, the NHS announced it would rollout CGM technology to everyone living with Type 1 diabetes as part of its ‘Long Term Plan’ to deliver world-class healthcare. Now a deal between the NHS and manufacturer DEXCOM means a CGM called the Dexcom ONE Real Time-Continuous Glucose Monitoring will soon be available on prescription to people with Type 1 diabetes.
More than 250,000 people living with type 1 diabetes are set to be offered new technology to help them manage their condition and at the same time reduce the need for finger prick testing by up to 50%, following new advice from NICE. New guidance from NICE has recommended the use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) for adults and children living with type 1 diabetes for the first time. It will give them a continuous stream of real-time information on a smartphone about their current blood glucose level.
Tetris Pharma has announced that people living with diabetes in the UK now have access to Ogluo® (glucagon Pre-Filled Pen). This is the first ready-to-use, pre-mixed and pre-measured liquid glucagon injection to treat severe hypoglycaemia in adults, adolescents, and children aged two years and over.
IDDT’s Chief Executive, Martin Hirst, has written an article for this week’s Diabetes Times, regarding the level of misleading information and terminology regarding diabetes, freely available on the internet.
This was a headline in November 2021 along with the statement that “Misdiagnosed Type 1 diabetes patients could be freed from the need to take insulin after a new test is rolled out.”
Scotland will become the first country to offer the C-peptide blood test to all patients who have had a Type 1 diagnosis for at least three years. The test became available from 1st November 2021 in Scotland.
Novo Nordisk has launched the PenCycle scheme to enable people to recycle their pre-filled FlexPen and FlexTouch devices by returning them to participating pharmacies or through pre-paid Royal Mail boxes which hold up to 12 used pens (with the needles removed).
This system, called PenCycle, started on 1st November 2021 and is being run in partnership with Alliance Healthcare, Lloyds Pharmacy, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Royal Mail. It will be piloted in 13 clinical commissioning groups in Greater Manchester and Leicestershire and Rutland and in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board, ahead of a planned national rollout in 2022. The scheme is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.
The DVLA has updated the guidance on glucose testing prior to driving. This now permits the use of interstitial glucose readings eg using Flash Glucose Scanning (FreeStyle Libre) and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems for Group 1 drivers only. However, finger-prick tests are still required (even for Group 1 drivers) under certain circumstances.
By Martin Hirst
CEO, InDependent Diabetes Trust
Why should we talk about diabetes and tattoos?
Tattoos are a cultural phenomenon that exist in most parts of the world. They can be used to signify things like social status or family history as in Polynesian culture or as a form of art often seen, for example, in European culture. Tattoos tend to divide people into three groups, people who can’t bare them, people who love them and those who are “tattoo-curious”. Whichever group you belong to, tattoos by their very nature are here to stay. There are now over 12 million people in the UK who have been tattooed and not surprisingly some of them have diabetes as well and in this article we look at various aspects of getting tattooed if you have diabetes.
This final guideline has now been published and can be found by visiting the NICE website: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG17
This update is focused on the long-acting insulin recommendations only. Further updates will be published in due course.
The recommendations from this guideline have been included in the NICE Pathway on Type 1 diabetes in adults, which brings together everything we have said on Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management (update) in an interactive flowchart. There is brief information about the guideline for people using services, carers and the public at ‘Information for the public’.
Please show your support by joining IDDT or renewing your membership now.
We rely on voluntary donations and appreciate any help you can give.
Find out the great benefits of becoming a member.
IDDT has a CONFIDENTIAL Helpline,
find out more.
You don’t have to be a member to donate, you can use the button below to donate via a secure PayPal Donation form. Thank you.
All the money that we raise through the IDDT Lottery goes directly to help people with diabetes and their families.
Find out more.
NICE is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health.
InDependent Diabetes Trust
PO Box 294
Northampton
NN1 4XS
UK
01604 622837
An umbrella organisation
All IDDT publications are now accessible via the main Publications menu at the top of the page
