NEWS
INPUT is a charity with a mission to improve access to
diabetes tech such as insulin pumps, flash and continuous
glucose monitoring, as well as to structured education.
www.inputdiabetes.org.uk
MEDICINES SHORTAGES?
Commenting on news stories about
the possibility of medical supplies being
jeopardized by the looming decision about
Britain leaving the EU, JDRF has affirmed
that it is committed to ensuring that the
needs of people with Type 1 diabetes are
taken into account and prioritised in the
event of a no-deal Brexit and is working
with the Department of Health and Social
Care on the situation for insulin supplies.
The UK government advises that
patients, GPs, hospitals and pharmacies
should not stockpile. Instead it has
requested that drug manufacturers
have a minimum of six weeks' supply of
stockpiled insulin, over and above their
usual operational buffer stocks.
Insulin manufacturers, Novo Nordisk
and Sanofi have stated they are increasing
their stockpiles to 16 and 14 weeks
respectively, while Lilly is holding several
months' supply. Now, Novo Nordisk has
announced it will be increasing supplies
to 18 weeks and joining other companies
in testing different shipping routes in the
event of delays at the UK's main port,
Dover. Sanofi is also looking to test two
alternative routes into the country, one
into the east coast from the Netherlands
and another route into the south coast
from France.
JDRF will continue to make the
Department of Health and Social Care
aware of our supporters' concerns
around insulin supplies and other type 1
consumables, in the event of a no deal
and will provide further updates as soon
as there are any.
Simon Dukes, chief executive of the
Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating
Committee (PSNC), has also commented
that there have been supply shortages for
a number of reasons and that "concerns
around a no-deal Brexit are likely to
exacerbate those ongoing issues".
Supply shortages and rising prices for
some medicines are being reported by
pharmacists and GPs with the possibility
of a no-deal Brexit being blamed.
For more information see this report
from BBC: Is NHS finding it hard to get
medicines?
ACCU-CHEK &
CELLNOVO
Cellnovo has signed a new collaboration
that allows for automatic data transfer
from Roche's Accu-Chek Bluetoothenabled
blood glucose meters* to
the Cellnovo Gen 3 System. This
smartphone data sharing product
enhancement builds on interoperability
of the Cellnovo Bluetooth and Android
platform, allowing for more choice and
improved user experience for people with
Type 1 diabetes, according to a press
release. Sophie Baratte, Chief Executive
Officer of Cellnovo, commented, "These
agreements are a demonstration of the
Cellnovo System's facility of connecting
with other devices."
Cellnovo markets the first connected
diabetes management platform based
on a locked-down Android smartphone
communicating via Bluetooth with a
small, discreet micro-pump.
*such as the Accu-Chek Guide blood
glucose monitoring device (distribution of
this in the UK is not yet confirmed).