Easy access ... difficult access ... no access!

Easy access ... difficult access ... no access!

Easy access ... difficult access ... no access!

This is the narrative of Australians living with type 2 diabetes for the past 12 months and now they're being told it's probably going to continue well into 2024, which will result in them not being able to access a medication that is essential for their diabetes management and overall health and well-being.

If people with any diabetes type cannot access their diabetes medications, be it insulin, non-insulin injectables or oral glucose lowering tablets, their physical and emotional health will suffer - don't believe me? Come to work with me or any of my fellow credentialled diabetes educator (CDE) colleagues anywhere across Australia. 

Every day of every week for the past 12 months we are seeing stressed, anxious, frustrated and angry Australians who are trying to manage their type 2 diabetes. Us CDEs don't blame them - we are frustrated and angry with the Australians living with type 2 diabetes that we support. What comes first - the chicken or the egg? Does stress and anxiety cause elevated glucose levels or does elevated glucose levels cause stress and anxiety? BOTH! We need to be doing more to lessen the burden on the livelihoods of Australians living with type 2 diabetes - they need tools (ie. consistent access to Ozempic or Trulicity) to manage their diabetes and overall health.

Every day of every week for the past 12 months we are seeing weights, blood pressures and HbA1C levels frequently increase and decrease because Australians who are trying to manage their type 2 diabetes don't have access to their Ozempic or Trulicity. Fluctuating weights impacts people's mental health, body image, self-esteem, self-confidence, and daily mood. Fluctuating weights and blood pressures lead to cardiovascular disease. Fluctuating HbA1C levels lead to an increased risk of developing diabetes-related concerns like kidney, eye and foot disease. We need to be doing more to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and cardiac complications for Australians living with type 2 diabetes - they need tools (ie. consistent access to Ozempic or Trulicity) to manage their diabetes and overall health.

Australians living with type 2 diabetes have been informed the shortage of Ozempic and Trulicity will continue into 2024 so alternatives need to be found. THERE ARE NO ALTERNATIVES! Australians living with type 2 diabetes don't have access to alternative diabetes self-management or self-care tools, such as :

• subsidised continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors
• affordable and accessible psychologists 

Australians living with type 2 diabetes want Ozempic or Trulicity simply because it works for them. It seems unethical that these medications have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) yet the approval has happened despite there being poor to no availability.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! The health and well-being of Australians living with type 2 diabetes cannot suffer any longer - THEIR LIVES MATTER - they must have access to Ozempic and Trulicity to reduce their morbidity and mortality risk.