Everything you need to know about insulin pumps

What is an insulin pump?

An insulin pump is a small electronic device, worn outside the body. It can be tubed or tubeless, battery operated or USB rechargeable. It delivers a small amount of rapid-acting insulin all day and night. It is the closest way of replicating the body’s own insulin production and is used instead of daily injections. Insulin pumps can help improve blood glucose levels and quality of life.

How does it work?

The pump delivers rapid-acting insulin day and night (known as basal or background insulin).
It can also be programmed to deliver a surge of insulin (bolus) before eating or to correct a glucose level that is above target.

Smart insulin pumps can be paired with a compatible continuous glucose monitor (CGM). When paired with CGM, these pumps can adjust insulin delivery and make small correction doses to help keep you in your target range.

This can reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and hyperglycaemia (above target glucose).

Which pump is right for me?

There are currently four models of insulin pumps available. Your diabetes nurse educator (DNE) will help you decide which pump will suit you and your lifestyle.

Read more about each insulin pump here:

• Medtronic 780G
• Tandem Tslim
• YpsoPump
• Omnipod Dash

How do I get started?

Book an appointment at the Diabetes Victoria Clinic to see a DNE for a pump information session. If you would like to go ahead with pump therapy, a pre-pump appointment will be scheduled.

Your pre-pump appointment will include:

• assessing your Private Health Insurance cover
• working with your Endocrinologist*
• ordering your pump and CGM system
• updating your NDSS eligibility
• ordering everything you need to operate your insulin pump.

*An Endocrinologist or Specialised Nurse Practitioner will need to sign the Private Health Insurance and order forms.

What else do I need for my pump start?

You will need an appointment with a dietitian before your pump start to review your carbohydrate counting accuracy. This is because you will enter your carbohydrates into the pump before eating.

The dietitian will check your knowledge and application of the following:

• Knowing foods that contain carbohydrate,
• Your accuracy weighing and measuring foods and drinks and reading food labels
• Checking if you are using trustworthy apps to assist carbohydrate counting foods without labels.

Do I need Private Health Insurance?

The cost of an insulin pump is around $8500. With the appropriate level of Private Health Insurance (PHI) cover (and no waiting period) the cost of the insulin pump is covered, so you have no out-of-pocket cost for the pump device.

Insulin pumps can still be purchased outright without PHI.

You are likely to need between 7-9 appointments, from start to finish. Read more information on each of these appointments here.

Starting an insulin pump is a big change to your insulin delivery and management. The pump start will take about 4 hours because there is a lot of new information to learn.

There are also several follow up appointments after you start on your pump. This is to check your insulin settings and to provide you with the support and resources you need to manage your pump on an ongoing basis.

I’m ready to get started!

To book a pump information appointment, please call 1300 153 123  or book online.