The problem getting new medications for type II diabetics.

A self-portrait.  Kathryn is in the background.

I have been a diabetic for quite a few years now.  As a child I was frequently tired; no one knew why.  It wasn't until I had a glucose tolerance test that a diagnosis of pre-diabetes was made.  At first, I just watched my diet and exercised.  Then I did both of those and had metformin added to the mix.  I had been on that particular medication for around ten years when things began to change.

Two years ago in June we moved from Maple Ridge to Kelowna.  My a1c number had climbed above that magic "7" level where doctors start to worry.  The goal is to keep your a1c below 7; anything above is bad, and the higher it is the more problems you are likely to develop.  Diabetes is a nasty disease where, if untreated, you may face blindness, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, limb amputation, nerve pain, and a host of other associated problems.

My Maple Ridge doctor, whom I was still seeing via phone (thanks, Covid) and the occasional visit when I was in town, prescribed Jardiance.  You take one pill a day and keep up with good eating and exercise habits.  The problem wasn't in being given the prescription, it was in getting it filled.

You see, there are a number of legislative bodies responsible for managing drug prescriptions.  There are the medical insurance people, BC Pharmacare, the Special Authority unit inside Pharmacare, the doctors, and the pharmacists.  All these people have to talk to each other.  You would think this would be a stream-lined process, but no, there are numerous hurdles to cross.

It took many weeks of talking to all groups before getting the prescription filled.  Then I found out that I couldn't get any more after 4 months (120 days) because special authority hadn't been given.  Special what?  I had never heard of such a thing, and it took many weeks, multiple conversations with numerous representatives of all the above mentioned groups, and the hard work of my pharmacist before such authority was granted.

I have been on Jardiance now for about two years but the a1c numbers have risen again.  To add to the problem, I have been told that I may no longer see my Maple Ridge doctor because we moved.  Now I am in a city with 20,000 other people that do not have a family doctor and have been on a waiting list for over 18 months.  I have been to a clinic where I have seen at least three different doctors and have had to present blood work and medications to each one in turn.  My latest a1c test came back at 8.4, and so the doctor I met with prescribed a new medication- Ozempic.

My last a1c bloodwork came back at 8.4 So, I don't have a family doctor, I need a new medication that has started the whole process of applying for it over again, and my a1c levels are pretty bad.  More time, effort, and a lack of communication between interested parties adding stress to an already uncomfortable situation.  I just heard today that I have been approved for a 30 day trial of Ozempic.  After that I have to apply for a 120 day trial and, if all is good, I may get a regular prescription that can be refilled upon request with no problems.

So, the good news is that things are at least starting out.  Hopefully, by the end of summer, my a1c values will be in shape and my prescriptions ironed out so there will be no problems.  And if all goes well, I won't need to redo all this applying nonsense for a while.

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