Diabetes products

Last updated:

24 April 2024

Find out how you can access your diabetes products.

What are diabetes products

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s important to monitor your diabetes and to keep your blood glucose levels in the right range. This helps you avoid developing complications from diabetes.

A wide range of testing and monitoring equipment and products are available to help manage your diabetes. Your General Practitioner (GP) or one of the diabetes health providers can advise you on the best equipment for your needs.

Who can receive diabetes products

You are eligible to receive diabetes products if you have an assessed clinical need and either a:

Veteran Gold Card, and have diabetes; or a
Veteran White Card, and you have diabetes as an accepted condition.

What you can receive

Diabetes products can include items such as needles, syringes, blood glucose monitoring strips, urine monitoring strips, insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensors.

Hypoglycaemia products Oral Glucose Gel tubes in a convenient travel size are available for the treatment of hypoglycaemia. DVA does not fund or reimburse glucose lollies.

Diabetes products do not include diabetes medication.

How to access diabetes products

If you are eligible, you have a choice of how you access your fully funded diabetes products.

You can choose to have your diabetes products delivered to your door by a DVA contracted supplier through the Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP). Or you can choose to collect your diabetes products from your local pharmacy through the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The NDSS is an Australian Government initiative that provides free or subsidised diabetes products to help Australians manage their diabetes.

These two options are further stepped out below:

Option 1: Get a DVA contracted supplier to deliver the diabetes products to your door through RAP

Follow these steps:

Make an appointment to discuss your health needs with your health provider, such as your GP, diabetes clinic, endocrinologist, diabetes educator or registered nurse.
If you need diabetes products, ask your health provider to fill in the Diabetes Products Order Form and send it to one of the DVA contracted suppliers listed on the form.
Check that your health provider has given you a copy of the form so that you can re-order your diabetes products when you need them.
Your diabetes products will be delivered to your door shortly afterwards by a DVA contracted supplier, at no cost to you.

In addition, if you require CGM sensors, these will be automatically delivered to your home every 3 months.

If your health provider has also given you a prescription for diabetes medication, you will need to take the prescription to your local pharmacy. Your local pharmacy will dispense the diabetes medication to you. A DVA contracted supplier will not deliver your medication to your home.

Option 2: Visit your local pharmacy to collect your diabetes products through NDSS

Follow these steps:

If you haven’t already, please register with the NDSS.
Go to your local NDSS access point, such as your local pharmacy, to receive a limited range of diabetes products. Please note: The range available may not be as wide as through RAP.
Give them your NDSS registration number that is on your NDSS card, and also show the pharmacy staff your Veteran Card.
If you are an eligible Veteran Card holder, you will get the diabetes products for free without paying the co-payment. The Australian Government subsidises some diabetes products through the NDSS and we covers the co-payment for eligible Veteran Card holders.

Please note: You do not need a prescription from your GP to access products through the NDSS.

Frequently asked questions

If you have a question, please check our frequently asked questions below for an answer.

Do I need to have a state or territory diabetes membership to access DVA funded diabetes products?

No. we will reimburse the cost of your membership to a local diabetes organisation (go to Diabetes memberships for more information) however, you do not need this membership to access diabetes products. See above to find out how to access Government funded products.

Can you still visit your local pharmacy to get your diabetes products?

Yes. You can if you are registered with the NDSS and have a NDSS card.

If you are an eligible Veteran Card holder, you don’t pay the NDSS co-payment. This is because the Australian Government subsidises a limited range of diabetes products and we cover the NDSS co-payment for eligible Veteran Card holders.

How long is your Diabetes Products Order Form (prescription) valid for?

A copy of the Diabetes Products Order Form will be provided to you by your health provider. This is your prescription and it’s valid for 2 years for insulin pumps and most diabetes products.

Your DVA contracted supplier will let you know when you are approaching the end of the 2 year prescription period.

At the end of the 2 year period, you will need to go back to your health provider for a new prescription. The health provider will assess your health needs and check if any adjustments need to be made.

Note: For clients prescribed a CGM - you only need your initial prescription, and after this, you will be placed on an automatic subscription for the ongoing supply of sensors.

Regular check-ups with your GP or diabetes treatment team are essential to managing your diabetes. Health professionals recommend that diabetics who require insulin should see their GP every 3 months. Diabetics taking medication to manage their diabetes should also see their GP every 4-6 months.

How do you re-order your DVA-funded and supplied diabetes products?

You can contact your DVA contracted supplier to order more products every 3 months. Let them know you are a DVA client and provide them with your details.

Note: For clients prescribed a CGM only contact your DVA contracted supplier if your requirements change or you have any concerns about your ongoing deliveries.

You will find the contact details of the DVA contracted supplier on your copy of the Diabetes Products Order Form as supplied by your health provider.

Your diabetes products will be delivered to your door, at no cost to you.

What happens to your DVA-funded and supplied diabetes products when you go away or change address?

If you want your DVA-funded and supplied diabetes products to be delivered to a different address, or stopped for a period of time, please let the DVA contracted supplier know. You will find the contact details of the DVA contracted supplier on your copy of the Diabetes Products Order Form as supplied by your health provider.

If you are going away for a while, it may be a good idea to increase the number of months’ supply you receive as a ‘one-off’ before you leave. You will then have an appropriate amount of diabetes products to take away with you.

How do you receive DVA-funded CGM sensors?

At your appointment, your health provider will complete the Diabetes Products Order Form and submit it to a DVA contracted supplier of their choice (they are listed on the form).

Once the form is received by the suppliers, you will be placed on a subscription service for an ongoing supply of CGM sensors.

This means you will automatically receive, at no cost to you, every three (3) you will receive sensors delivered to your door for as long as you need it. You don’t need to contact us or your DVA contracted supplier to re-order your sensors. You will be automatically resupplied after your first order.

What if you do not want to be on an automatic subscription?

If you do not want to receive the CGM sensors every 3 months, you can remove yourself from the subscription service by calling or emailing your DVA contracted supplier as detailed on the Diabetes Products Order Form.

If you prefer, you can continue to receive your CGM sensors through your local pharmacy under NDSS.

What happens to your diabetes products when you change address or go away?

If there are changes to your address or personal details, please call or email your DVA contracted supplier as detailed on the Diabetes Products Order Form.

What if you no longer need the diabetes products including CGM sensors?

If your health needs change and you no longer require your diabetes products or the CGM sensors please call or email your DVA contracted supplier as detailed on the Diabetes Products Order Form.

How do you use the Abbott FreeStyle Libre CGM sensors?

You can learn how to use the sensor by visiting the following resources:

How do you use the AMSL Dexcom CGM?

You can find the CGM user guide and video tutorial by going to the AMSL Dexcom G6 Training webpage.

How do you use the Medtronic Products?

You can learn how to use your Medtronic products by visiting the following resources:

How do you use the AMSL Tandem t:slim X2 Insulin Pump?

The AMSL website has a range of resources to teach you how to use the insulin pump. Go to Tandem t:slim X2 Insulin Pump to learn how you can use it.

What if your health needs change?

If your health care needs change, make an appointment with your health provider to discuss what diabetes products will best support you.