Many people with diabetes rely on specific equipment to help them manage their condition but they say the province isn’t keeping up with technology to keep them healthy.
Diabetics, like Susan Dafoe, use an insulin pump to help manage blood sugar levels. The devices are a more efficient and less painful way of monitoring the condition because they do away with needles and constant testing.
“It’s completely changed my life actually. I did multiple daily injections for almost 30 years, so switching to a pump was a big deal for me. At first I wasn’t quite sure, but it’s been life changing.”
Dafoe wears her pump around the clock and the unit produces insulin as needed through a single port.
Since 2013, the province has covered the cost of insulin pumps, which is about $7,000.
However, many of those original pumps had a five-year warranty that’s now run out.
Dafoe says the pumps have newer technology that allows the devices to automatically administer insulin based on the user’s blood sugar levels. She adds they have a number of other helpful features too.
“My blood sugar goes to my phone every five minutes and I have a continuous read of my blood sugars all day. It has a lot of different features than some of the pumps: it’s touch screen, it’s smaller, it’s faster but the biggest feature is the continuous monitor.”
The new pumps have already been approved by Health Canada and Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario have already agreed to cover the costs of those pumps but, so far Alberta hasn’t followed suit. That’s something that Dafoe finds frustrating.
“If something happens to my pump, that could put me in danger, really. It’s not a good situation. I still have supplies, I am still using my pump and it’s still working, but the fact that it hasn’t been approved yet just wasn’t something that I expected.”
The government hasn’t provided any explanation why it's been dragging its feet on approving the new pumps.
“I can tell you we definitely take the advice of our officials very seriously and we will gather that evidence and make those decisions,” said Health Minister Sarah Hoffman last week.
The United Conservative Party is equally vague on the proposal.
“A United Conservative government would consult with stakeholders and take the advice of medical and health department experts when making these kinds of decisions,” Christine Myatt said in an email to CTV News.
When it comes down to it, Dafoe says she just wants the best pump to help her manage her diabetes.
“Technology is changing all the time, so I really would like the best technology and the newest technology versus having the same technology for five years.”
If the pump is approved by the program, the entire cost is covered. But if it’s not, users would need to spend thousands of dollars on a new pump and thousands more every few months for supplies.
(With files from Chris Epp)
