I have been actively volunteering with Diabetes Ireland on this issue, as others have, in particular Liz Murphy from Waterford and Davina Lyon, Offaly, and believe that the Freestyle Libre glucose monitor should be available, without age restriction, to people with diabetes in Ireland and here is some information on how the Libre4All campaign is progressing.

The Latest Information

2022

November - Rapid Health Technology Assessment HTA of all CGMs (including Flash Glucose Monitoring) began by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics NCPE. A HTA assesses the clinical effectiveness and safety, cost-effectiveness and budget impact, organisational and social aspects, and ethical and legal issues around the use of a technology and then presents recommendations to the Department of Health.

April - Response from the Minister for Health to Parliamentary Questions asked by Deputies Colm Burke, Neasa Hourigan, Eoin O’Broin and others in the Oireachtas

The HSE have now written to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to ask if it would consider a system wide HTA across diabetes care. The HSE are awaiting the outcome of this request. In the absence of a full value assessment of the product, the HSE is not in a position to remove the current age restriction.

April - Diabetes Ireland Survey of over 700 Freestyle Libre Users as part of the HSE’s Health Technology Assessment Findings.

March - A Report Of Continuous And Flash Glucose Sensors Uptake In Ireland published on Blood Sugar Trampoline finds an Opportunity to save €4.2 million per year.

2021

December - Diabetes Ireland is undertaking a Freestyle Libre Users Survey to submit as part of the HSE’s Health Technology Assessment to consider widening access to flash glucose monitoring in Ireland. You can help with this by completing this survey.

July - Blog post with updated information on the Flash Access Campaign - 50% Of People With Type 1 Diabetes Using Glucose Sensors

March - Oireachtas Cross Party Committee on Diabetes updated on the current impasse on the removal of age restriction for the Freestyle Libre

20th January - Three years since Freestyle Libre was offered to 25% of the Type 1 Diabetes population in Ireland - Freestyle Libre Thinking Out Loud blog post.

2019

4th October 2019: Diabetes Ireland announced that following a plethora of parliamentary questions from TDs, the HSE has clarified that the following will be included in that review;

Clinical data from Irish settings acknowledging that has a bearing on cost-effectiveness
Review of strip usage at an individual level for persons approved for Freestyle LIBRE
Reasons for exceptional approvals
Overall review of the quantitative data
Diabetes Ireland Survey on the use of the freestyle LIBRE

“This response also provided, for the first time, detailed costing’s incurred by the HSE. To date, there are 2,798 people currently using Freestyle LIBRE at a cost to be in the region of €1.8 million. Many of these may not be using the Libre for a full 12 months so while it would not be accurate to calculate a per patient cost from this data, it does show that .....👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻.....the cost of Freestyle Libre WILL NOT EXCEED THE ANTICIPATED BUDGETARY SPEND as set out in the Advice Note 2017/01 which is positive for the review.” 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻

See the full statement here.

15th August 2019: HSE are currently reviewing and considering removing the age restriction on the Freestyle Libre Reimbursement scheme and considering the experience of patients and “societal aspects of benefit” presented in Diabetes Ireland’s User Survey. As per Irish Times Article.

Between 25th June - 9th July 2019: 32 written Parliamentary Questions asked by our public representatives calling on the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, to ensure that the findings from the Freestyle Libre User Survey be included as part of the HSE’s review of the reimbursement scheme.

18th June 2019: Press Release and Call to Action from Diabetes Ireland: Diabetes Community Calls on Minister for Health to Extend Freestyle Libre to all people with type 1 diabetes. Survey Highlights Huge Quality of Life Improvements in Irish Users of Technology

Call to Action for People to contact their local TDs asking the “Minister for Health to ensure survey findings are considered as part of the HSE Review and consider the views of people self-funding its use when making his final decision on this issue.

The survey showed significant reduction in blood glucose strip usage, which provides cost savings for the HSE and offsets the monthly cost of the Libre sensors and positive information on individual daily experiences and life changing benefits of using Libre. These were issues identified in the HSE’s Health Technology Assessment Group Advice Note 2017/001 for not making the technology available to all people with Type 1 diabetes based on clinical need.”

Background Information from 2017 and 2018

The Flash Glucose Monitor, the Freestyle Libre made by Abbott, was launched in Ireland for purchase in November 2016. The sensors for this monitor cost €120 per month which is not affordable for many people living with diabetes.

On 3 February 2017, Abbott submitted an application to the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme for inclusion on the Long Term Illness Scheme so that it would be available to all who need it.

2017 June 28 Update on the Libre’s application with the HSE for inclusion on the Long Term Illness Scheme

2018 January 24 My reaction to the HSE's announcement of the Freestyle Libre Reimbursement Scheme

2018 February 12 What’s Next in the Freestyle Libre Campaign?

2018 March 13 Libre4All Campaign Update

2018 March 30 Morning Ireland Interview with Anna Clarke, Diabetes Ireland and Campaigner Liz Murphy

2018 April 16 The Freestyle Libre; why we need it

2018 April 18 LMFM interview on The Michael Reade Show (Scroll to 1:09:40 to hear interview)

2018 April 19 Midlands Radio3 Interview with Will Faulkner

2018 April 18 Freestyle Libre Petition Presented to Government

2018 June 25 Scroll down to “THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN AFTERWARDS - A FreeStyle Libre UPDATE” of this post.

2019 March 5 - Diabetes Ireland shared an online survey

2019 May 13 - Diabetes Ireland announcement

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