A Question for Insulin Pump Users

graflynn

I'm about to get my first insulin pump (v. exciting & fingers crossed) and a friend who also has a pump says that while the pump itself is covered on the long term illness book, the supplies such as the infusion sets, etc are not and I will have to go through the medical card section to get those.

I'm wondering if this is the way it's done all over the country or just in my neck of the woods. And I was also wondering if anyone claims for them from their health insurance?

It seems a bit ridiculous to have the pump on the LTI but not the supplies?

Thanks in advance.

robinph

Not got as far as even putting my name on a list yet, but was having a chat with my pharmacist about pumps last week when picking up supplies and although she said they had only dispensed a couple of times for pumpers, she was certain that everything would be covered by the LTI book as I was specifically asking her about the extra paraphernalia that you need as well. We get the needles for the pens for free, so why wouldn't the infusion sets a etc also be? I am intending to speak with them at the hospital in a couple of weeks to see if I can maybe get things moving to get a pump myself now.

I did the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday and despite surviving Dublin a couple of years ago I possibly got my schedule of taking gels and reducing the insulin dose a little wrong, it's also possible I just didn't train enough. But hitting the wall at around 33km wasn't fun and from reading on other diabetes related forums the flexibility that the pump offers had been very helpful for runners so I want to try and get a pump if I can.

I'm the one in the blue Boards AC vest.

graflynn

Well done on the marathons Robinph.

I did a lot of research before I made the decision to go on the pump (note none of my info came from medical professionals). One book which I'm finding really useful is called "Insulin Pump Therapy Demystified (An Essential Guide for Everyone Pumping Insulin)" by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer. Another useful one but about diabetes but does a good chapter on exercise and pumping is "50 Secrets of the Longest Living People with Diabetes" (Marlowe Diabetes Library), by Sheri R. Colberg & Steven V. Edelman

Sheri Colberg is a diabetes fitness professional person (can't remember what her actual title is).

And I just happened to talk to my pharmacist yesterday and I do have to sign up for the "hardship" scheme to get the supplies for the pump but can still do that through the chemist. It still seems ridiculous!

robinph

Thanks for the tips on the books. Might look into them, especially if there is some stuff on exercise in them which is incredibly difficult to find information on with type 1.

graflynn wrote: »

And I just happened to talk to my pharmacist yesterday and I do have to sign up for the "hardship" scheme to get the supplies for the pump but can still do that through the chemist. It still seems ridiculous!

That sounds daft alright, why not just cover it all under the same system? The money to pay for it all comes out of the same pot of money, it's all to pay for the treatment of the same condition, why have two different systems in place in order to get those needed supplies?