The Lazio Region has taken a step forward in the regional offer for people with diabetes. With the collaboration between the Italian Society of Diabetology (Sid), the Association of Diabetes Doctors (Amd) and Federdiabete Lazio, a provision has been adopted that extends the reimbursement criteria for new devices for self-monitoring of glucose. The initiative was presented in Rome on Monday 1 July 2024, in an event that involved regional health representatives and managers of the trade unions. As explained by the promoters, “the provision was adopted through a resolution by Andrea Urbani, director of the Health and Socio-Health Integration Department of the Lazio Region on the proposal of Marzia Mensurati, manager of the Drugs and Devices area”. It is “a response that meets the specific health needs of people with diabetes by making innovative and effective tools available to them”.
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Measurement and prescription methods
Furthermore, “the use of a sensor that monitors blood glucose levels has shown benefits on multiple fronts: from glycemic compensation to the prevention of complications to an improvement in the quality of life thanks to the greater freedom, accuracy and manageability of the devices”. The document establishes the maximum ceilings for continuous blood glucose monitoring devices. The working group has established the target of patients who can derive the maximum benefit from a cost-effective perspective. “Continuous” systems measure the glucose that circulates in the subcutaneous interstitial fluid. The maximum number of sensors that can be prescribed depends on the duration of the sensor, with no ceilings on reimbursement. As for the methods of prescribing the devices and consumables, “it will be carried out exclusively by diabetes endocrinology specialists enabled on the webcare platform and subject to verification by the hospital pharmacist, against the drafting of a therapeutic plan”.
Collaboration and synergy between scientific societies
Nicola Napoli, president of Sid Lazio, emphasized that “this is an important goal, achieved thanks to the collaboration and synergy between scientific societies, patients and the Lazio Region, in particular Dr. Marzia Mensurati. The benefits for patients are concrete: from the lower risk of hypoglycemia, in particular for those who present a higher vascular risk, to the general quality of life”.
Promoting equitable access to new tools
Vincenzo Fiore, regional president of Amd Lazio, explained that “thanks to the synergic work carried out together with patient associations and the Lazio Region, we now have tools to support diabetes therapy that allow us to adopt an innovative approach to managing the disease. As scientific societies, our goal is to promote equal access to these new tools for an ever-improving daily management of the disease. It is important to exploit this opportunity, transforming the regulatory primacy achieved by the Lazio Region into a clinical advantage and a new management approach to benefit the health of people with diabetes”.
A step forward in diabetes care
Raffaella Buzzetti, president-elect of the Italian Society of Diabetes, emphasized that “the new regional resolution that extends the use of blood glucose sensors to all people with type 2 diabetes regardless of the number of insulin administrations and also to those still affected by type 2 diabetes who have a high cardiovascular risk represents a significant step forward in diabetes care”. According to Buzzetti, the SID “appreciates the work of the regional SID and AMD representatives who, actively collaborating with the Lazio region, have achieved this significant result also thanks to the commitment of patient associations. The Lazio region is therefore certainly among the most advanced regions in the process of diabetes care in the perspective of preventing its complications”.
Regions can follow the Lazio example
For Riccardo Candido, president of Amd, «the tools for monitoring blood sugar levels in real time represent useful and innovative allies for keeping blood sugar levels under control and possibly modifying lifestyles, diet and therapy. The data in the literature on the benefits of these devices for people with type 2 diabetes – on non-insulin therapy – are still few: the hope is that from the pilot experience of the Lazio Region, data useful for clinical practice can be collected, so that other Regions can also follow the Lazio example».
