As the first government program in Atlantic Canada to enable access to integrated hybrid closed loop technology, Medtronic Canada applauds the government of Prince Edward Island’s (PEI) announcement of a comprehensive reimbursement program for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for eligible residents living with -diabetes. CGM devices provide critical information on glucose levels to help with the management of diabetes. Medtronic fully supports this investment in the health of people living with diabetes, enabling access to innovative diabetes management technology to help improve control of this very challenging chronic disease.

CGM has made a world of difference to parents Sheri and Mike Jeffrey in Souris, PEI. Their youngest son Hudson was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes before his second birthday, turning their lives upside-down. Hudson began his diabetes management with finger pricks to test his blood glucose levels, and multiple daily injections of insulin. He later switched to an insulin pump integrated with CGM

"It was a game-changer," Sheri Jeffrey says. "At last, I didn't have to wake him up in the middle of the night to check his glucose levels. Now he can live a more normal life. This technology can make a critical difference in the quality of life for people living with diabetes."

Nearly 17,000 people in PEI live with diabetes,¹ and can spend between $1,000 to $5,000 each year out of pocket for their supplies, prescribed medication, and devices, averaging 3% of their annual income (without private insurance).² These high costs remain the primary reason many patients do not adhere to their diabetes management plan, putting them at risk of developing serious, life-threatening conditions. Studies show that maintaining blood sugars in adequate range reduces long term health risks, ^3,4 as well as improved glycemic outcomes in children and youth using hybrid closed loop technology.^5,6

With the announcement of PEI’s public coverage program, eligible residents living with diabetes can now access reimbursement for the integrated CGM — part of the Medtronic MiniMed™ 770G insulin pump system, allowing them to benefit from hybrid closed loop technology. This is currently the only system licensed by Health Canada offering adaptive insulin delivery for those as young as two years old. Patients can now also access the Medtronic Guardian Connect™ stand-alone CGM system, offering up to 60 minutes predictive alerts for low or high glucose levels.

“People with diabetes have to focus on managing their glucose levels 24/7,” says Laura Cameron, senior director of the Diabetes business at Medtronic Canada. “Access to CGM helps alleviate some of this burden, especially if it is combined with an integrated insulin pump that allows for adaptive insulin delivery, day or night. We look forward to continuing to support patients with optimizing their diabetes management.”

Eligible patients will be able to access this program as of June 1st, 2022. Details on eligibility requirements are available at: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/glucose-sensor-technology-available-for-islanders-living-with-diabetes.

For more information from Medtronic, contact: Roxane Bélanger at 1-905-460-3800.

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1. Data on file; Arcus Consulting Group
2. Diabetes Canada. Diabetes in Canada – Backgrounder. 2022.
3. Beck RW, et al. JAMA. 2017;317(4):371-378
4. Beck R et al. Diabetes Care. 2018 Oct; epub ahead of print dc181444. 
5. Forlenza, GP et al. Diab Tech Ther. 2019; 21(1), 11–19.
6. Forlenza GP, et al. Pediatr Diabetes. 2022 Jan 10. doi: 10.1111/pedi.13312. Epub ahead of print.