Whānau are kaitiaki of their own health Focus area 3: Whānau have equitable access to medicines and technology Focus area 4: Integrated data supports equitable and responsive whānau care Focus area 5: Whānau receive wrap-around support to help prevent complications Whānau will be supported to develop individualised care plans, shared across their health care team. These care plans should be developed in partnership with whānau, with an emphasis on self-management, so whānau are equipped to manage their condition and prevent the complications of diabetes. Improved access to comprehensive and culturally appropriate care planning, targeted to those who need it most, will support improved whānau outcomes and help prevent avoidable hospital admissions. All whānau with diabetes should be proactively supported to optimise their diabetes management. In particular, a greater focus on supporting younger adults within our priority groups, will reduce their lifetime risk of complications. This includes targeted support to optimise management of HbA1c, blood pressure and microalbuminuria levels, and reduce the psychological impact of diabetes, as outlined in the Quality Standards for Diabetes Care 2020. Māori and Pacific peoples are less likely to be regularly taking diabetes medications, despite higher levels of need. Achieving equitable access to medicines, including the new diabetes medications, requires system-wide action. This includes addressing the financial and health literacy barriers around long-term medication use, improved monitoring of medicine access equity, continued professional development around optimum medication use and improved data integration to support proactive and opportunistic management of diabetes.7 The whole diabetes care team, including pharmacists and diabetes nurse specialists, play an important role in supporting medicine access equity. Regular access to foot checks, retinal screening and oral health assessments, as part of the Diabetes Annual Review, supports whānau to identify and manage diabetes complications. Best practice guidance and standardised care pathways will ensure
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PHARMAC, 2019. Achieving medicine access equity in Aotearoa New Zealand: Towards a theory of change DRAFT DIABETES ACTION PLAN 2022-2027 V1.5
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