People with diabetes manage their condition by checking the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) in their blood several times a day. The standard way to do this is to prick a finger to obtain a drop of blood and getting a reading of glucose levels using a blood glucose meter. This is called self-monitoring of blood glucose.
Flash glucose monitoring is a new method of measuring blood glucose levels. It uses a small sensor inserted under the skin of a person’s upper arm and a separate touchscreen reader device.
Health Quality Ontario, in collaboration with the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), looked at how safe and effective flash glucose monitoring is for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and the budget impact of publicly funding flash glucose monitoring. We also talked with adults with diabetes and parents of children with diabetes to learn about their experiences, preferences, and values.
Read the full Health Technology Assessment report for more information.
The Ministry of Health has accepted this recommendation.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has provided the following response: Effective September 16, 2019, Ontario will fund FreeStyle Libre 14-day sensors and readers through the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program.