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Consumer Guide to Diabetes Products
Purpose
The ‘Consumer Guide’ section of this site is a guide to the equipment, medication and other items available in New Zealand to help you manage your diabetes.
It also describes the rules controlling the availability of medicines, delivery devices, and testing materials.
The Guide is NOT a description of your diabetes and it is NOT a management plan. You should discuss your personal management plan with your healthcare professional. You can find more information about Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in the About diabetes section of this site.
Contents
Acknowledgements and sources
This Consumer Guide to Diabetes Products has been produced by Diabetes New Zealand with support from PHARMAC, the New Zealand government’s drug funding agency.
It provides a comparative description of the medicines, delivery systems, testing devices and peripheral items available in New Zealand for the management of diabetes.
It does not offer any medical advice but does identify where you, the person affected by diabetes can go for assistance. Neither does it rank items as “Good Better Best”, rather it provides objective comparisons so that you, in partnership with your healthcare professional, can make a choice that suits your lifestyle.
It includes both subsidised and non subsidised items and describes the eligibility criteria set by PHARMAC and the subsidy level available.
In conclusion it provides a very brief description of some of the items that are expected shortly as a technology advances and price drops make them available in NZ.
Where possible it provides links to both the manufacturer's or supplier's Consumer information web pages, and links to MedSafe Consumer Medicines Information on particular medicines.
MedSafe is the section of the Ministry of Health that approves a medicine for use in New Zealand; PHARMAC negotiates the price the Health system will pay for that medicine, and sets conditions for the payment of subsidies.
Links within this resource will take you straight to the sections of interest.
Diabetes New Zealand acknowledges the role of PHARMAC in making this Guide possible and hopes you, the person affected by diabetes will find it helpful in maintaining good control.
Further assistance and information on how to manage your condition can be obtained through Diabetes New Zealand or through the Diabetes Society in your town.