On October 4th, the latest version of the Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor CGM, the G7 became available in Ireland, the UK and some other countries. I was busy attending college lectures and tutorials, so I was gathering information about this latest product from the diabetes community #DOC in Ireland #IREDOC and abroad until I could accept an invitation to talk with our Irish Dexcom Representatives for an update. This happened on Thursday last.
DiaTribe, and Kamil from Nerdabetic have both provided great information on the differences between the G6 and the G7, which would be good to look at if you’re interested in the complete list of features. However, from an Irish healthcare perspective, I have a couple of additional pieces of information, including the fact that G7 is included on the HSE Long Term Illness Scheme and has been since October 1st.
The main differences are that G7 has a 30-minute warmup versus 2 hours with G6 :-O, the transmitter is included in every sensor (like the Freestyle Libre but shhh I never said that), so there is no need for the two-step process when applying to have it funded by the HSE.
Additional Information from an Irish HSE perspective
If you are an existing Dexcom User, here are some things you need to consider before you upgrade:
Is your phone compatible?
This is currently the number one barrier to accessing the Dexcom G7. The list of compatible phones is shorter than for G6, but Dexcom said they are trying to expand this as quickly as possible and now have several members of staff dedicated to this.
Before buying a new phone!!!
When you check on the Dexcom webpage for a list of compatible phones (https://www.dexcom.com/en-IE/compatibility/select), IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE OPERATING SYSTEM OF THAT PHONE to determine compatibility. Sometimes a brand-new phone may not work because it has the most up-to-date operating system version already installed.
However, if you don’t have a compatible phone and don’t have the means to upgrade to one, please don’t despair. Our diabetes community have been overcoming barriers to our care and technology for a number of decades, especially as the companies providing these technologies were slow to listen to our community in those previous decades. Companies do now realise that if they don’t address these barriers, we will fix them ourselves. So there is a solution to this problem and it’s easy to find on google.
Are you using a Dexcom-integrated Insulin Pump?
There are currently two insulin pumps available in Ireland; Tander T:Slim and the YpsoPump. Neither of these pumps has integrated G7 yet but I suspect that they are both working on upgrading their operating systems to integrate it.
What should I do next?
If you are in a position to upgrade, here are your options.
If you are an existing Dexcom user;
If you are an existing Dexcom user, contact your diabetes team first. The G7 does not need a separate transmitter, so there is no need for an application to HSE community-funded schemes. Only a prescription is required from your diabetes team to take to your chemist. However, do be patient with this as our diabetes teams are overstretched most of the time so they may ask you to wait until your current G6 transmitter battery is nearing the end of its life.
Do I have to wait for my annual contract on my transmitters to expire?
No. Even though your Dexcom transmitter supply is ordered on an annual basis, the transmitters are only paid for when they are sent out to the “patient”. Your team can cancel the order when you’re current G6 transmitter's life is nearing its end and issue the prescription for G7. However, as mentioned above, your team may be inundated with requests, so do have patience with them if they ask you to wait until your current supply runs out.
If you are not already using a Dexcom or any CGM device;
The first place to start if you are interested in getting a glucose sensor is to have a conversation with your diabetes team and to read this webpage from Thriveabetes on “Getting a Glucose Sensor”
However, I do know that a small percentage of the type 1 diabetes community does not attend diabetes clinics but instead is supported by their GPs only. GPs are not trained in the technology or even have much knowledge about insulin-dependent diabetes and are usually not willing to step into the diabetes technology world, but some will be supportive of their patient’s requests and may provide you with a prescription. It is important, though, that you remember to access the online training support provided by Dexcom here.
PS The Medtronic Guardian 4 CGM has also arrived in Ireland, but there is very little information about this upgrade available so far and zero fanfare at all.