McGuinty Government Improving Access To Diabetes Education
Investing $190,323 To Create Diabetes Education Team To Serve Kingston

KINGSTON – The McGuinty government is improving access to diabetes care by creating a new diabetes education program for local residents affected by diabetes, MPP John Gerretsen announced today on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.

“People in our community living with diabetes must carefully monitor and manage their health through a balance of lifestyle and medication,” said Gerretsen. “With the creation of this diabetes education program in Kingston, we are giving people the tools they need to better manage the disease through education and other supports to stay healthy.”

Diabetes education teams consist of a registered nurse and a registered dietician who help people with diabetes improve their knowledge and skills to effectively manage their disease. Each team ensures that community-based diabetes programs and services have a focus on education, early intervention, and effective prevention of diabetes-related complications.

The government is providing $190,323 for the creation of a new team in Kingston.

Today’s announcement is part of the 44 new diabetes education teams being created across the province, bringing the total number of new teams for 2006/07 to 77. The funding comes from the $18.1 million announced for diabetes education programs last October.

“Our government is committed to having a responsive health care system that helps Ontarians lead healthy and independent lives,” Smitherman said. “Diabetes education teams are an important part of our diabetes strategy because they help people understand the disease so that they can make necessary lifestyle changes.”

Smitherman also announced the government has added a new diabetes drug, Avandia, to the province’s list of medicines covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. This was possible under the new conditional listing mechanism created under Bill 102, The Transparent Drug System for Patients Act, 2006. Avandia, listed for the treatment of people with Type 2 diabetes, is one of 49 new drugs (including 23 new brand products) added to the Ontario Drug Benefit formulary since October, 2006.

Today’s announcement is part of the McGuinty government $53 million diabetes strategy that focuses on diabetes education, early intervention and effective prevention of complications.

Diabetes is a chronic condition resulting from the body’s inability to sufficiently produce and/or properly use insulin, which assists with the conversion of glucose into energy. Without insulin, glucose cannot be sufficiently absorbed from the bloodstream into the cells of the body. Chronic high levels of blood glucose due to diabetes can lead to long-term damage, dysfunction and failure of the kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart and blood vessels.

The government has also recently announced other initiatives to improve the quality of life for people living with diabetes, which included:

• Investing $9.65 million toward the purchase of insulin pumps and related supplies for children 18 and under who have Type 1 diabetes
• Adding the new drug, Actos, to the province’s list of medicines covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program under Bill 102’s new conditional listing mechanism.

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities - keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

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For more information contact:
John Gerretsen, MPP
(613) 547-2385