Diabetes Canada says it knows the cost of managing diabetes can be high, which is why it is advocating that those without private insurance be able to access pharmacare coverage.

Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the highest diabetes incidence rates in the country.

Premier Tony Wakeham wrote Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, raising concern about the federal government’s “fractured approach” to implementation of the national pharmacare program.

Only British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Yukon have signed on to the program, but there’s been no indication as to whether Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government intends to expand that further.

Senior Manager of Policy with Diabetes Canada, Laura O’Driscoll of Grand Falls-Windsor says when it comes to chronic illness like diabetes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and timely access to the appropriate devices, supplies and medications is vital.

“And it’s not always prevention of the actual condition, it’s about prevention of complications related to the condition. So people living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can live long, healthy lives if they have access to the right devices, supplies and medications that would make them as healthy as they can be.”