Tandem pump approved for Canada..should we?

Hi all,

Just got the email that Tandem insulin pump has been approved for use in Canada. Not sure if it’s been cleared by our Provincial Insurance yet, but I’m really leaning this way for my daughter’s next pump.
That would make sense for us right? We are committed Dexcom users and she’s not interested in the Omipod, and I would rather have a pump that works with the Dexcom than go with another Medtronic which is our only other option.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

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If it’s the X2 with predictive low suspend, I would jump at it. It can help reduce greatly those lows and what parent doesn’t want that.!

It doesn’t have the low suspend, unfortunately. Hopefully this is something that will come once the Dexcom G6 is available in Canada (I don’t think Dexcom has even applied to Health Canada yet).

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I am so unhappy for you on this one! This is a big selling point for me right now. And I can wait for the next upgrade next year taking it to a closed loop system!

I am pretty confident that I will be moving to the t-slim when it rolls out in Alberta. Overall I think I am more confident with its intergration with the dexcom CGM over the Medtronic 670G with it’s CGM. My only concern is that supplies are accessed from diabetes depot rather than my pharmacy. Other than that I am excited for the t-slim!

Julia, what is the issue with diabetes depot?

My mistake it is Diabetes express. So my issue is that I live in rural alberta (PO box), and diabetes express has to be delivered to a physical address. I will need to have my pump supplies sent to my work, however my workplace does not want non work related packages sent. It just causes a small issue for me, however I am sure I will figure this part out.

ah, yes that can be a hassle. I had to have some pumps delivered to Vegas TWICE after failures, and it is a pain to deal with hotel package intake. And if your employer doesn’t want you receiving things there, that too is an issue best left resolved in another manner.

We’ve had quite a few delivery issues with Medtronic when on Medicare. they require a signature, so we told them to deliver to a Fedex store 4 blocks from the house so that we dont have to sit home all day long (sometimes deliveries occur later than 9PM). Medtronic’s default shipper is UPS, which is not deliverable to our particular Fedex store. My last order, they screwed up and sent my package via UPS. It had to be rerouted and UPS, as per their usual botched system, showed that my package hadn’t been rerouted, so I had to make yet another call to Medtronic to fix it. While on the phone with them, the doorbell rung, and there is the UPS guy with my package. It HAD been rerouted. I had enough of these issues, so I told MM to remove the Fedex address from our list of addresses.

As a long-time Mdt user and a former 670G user, I’d say go for it. The 670G works great for some people, but not for others (me, for instance–bailed on it after six months) and the problem is that it’s such a closed ecosystem that you’re basically locked out of any improvements that come down the line for years until you’re due for a replacement again. Whereas the Tandem will let you update your software, including looping when it’s released, without having to buy a new chunk of hardware. Plus–yeah–Dexcom. I found the Mdt Guardian 3 system to be quite as accurate as my Dex G5, but way more of a pain to insert and keep operating beyond–or even up to–the official sensor-change deadline. If I had the decision to do over I would definitely go with the Tandem.

We are in Ontario. My daughter, after 5 years on MDI has been waiting for a pump to come out that does more than just dose insulin. We’re getting the x2 as soon as we can. She also uses the Dexcom g5. I have spoken to both tandem and Dexcom and they assured me that the g6 will be available in Canada this winter and the basal IQ feature will be functional in Canada after that happens.

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@Sprocket1 - Not questioning you but rather questioning the validity of the information you were provided. Who specifically did you speak with?

As neither Dexcom nor Tandem has announced this publicly (AFAIK) and as it is my understanding that both the Dexcom G6 and the Tandem Basal-IQ updates would be required to receive approvals via Canada Health and as the Tandem X2 pump itself took far far longer to gain approval then was realistically expected… I simply find the statement itself hard to take at face value. Although to be clear - I am not doubting that this is what you were told but rather I am doubting the people who told you this.

Certainly it would be great for Canadians if this is accurate as choice is always good. It just seems overly optimistic.

Oh good, so glad many of you would say to go for it. In Ontario where we live, we get pump funding through a government program called ADP, and they will pay for a new pump every 5 years. But Tandem hasn’t been approved for ADP funding yet (They are approved by Health Canada but have to apply to each provincial program separately.) My daughter is due for a new pump in January and so I’m going to be doing alot of praying and hoping that Tandem gets ADP approval before then!

My biggest concern is that we are currently using a loaner Medtronic pump as my daughters original pump was giving errors and was past it’s warranty. I don’t want to be strong-armed by Medtronic to get one of their pumps when they want their loaner back. I guess worse case scenario we could go back to MDI for the time required for Tandem to get their ADP approval. I hope it doesn’t come to that!

@Leelaa
That was our backup plan (MDI) when we spent two years past warranty on our Animas Ping. Just having the backup plan in place allowed us the time needed to determine what we really wanted for the next pump without feeling any pressure.

If you need a loaner pump for a period while you are between pumps, I could lend you our old Animas Ping. It has a few issues like dim (really really dim) screen and a cracked case by the battery and it is USA so English only and I am not sure if we still have the remote. (And I know for sure we have no pump supplies.) But last time I checked, the pump itself still worked so if you wanted to borrow it so as to remove pressure from your timeline of decision making that would be fine.

I’m in the same situation. I’m searching right this moment because I’m trying to make a decision on the Tandem vs Medtronic. My animas expired Nov 2017, I’ve been waiting for Tandem to get Canadian approval as I love the Dexcom. This summer my battery compartment o my pump has a crack in it, still works but not waterproof any more. I just decided Oct 2018 to go with Medtronic, have the pump sitting her but haven’t had the time to do the training. I just got the email about The Tandem’s approval and now I don’t know what to do. Do I wait for the Tandem?? I know I’ll be going with a Tandem/Dexcom either this pump or next. I just love the idea of the IQ technology. I do this basal adjustment manually but its so time consuming. The thought that a pump could be preventing any lows is just like a dream come true. But I know to do this correctly the pump has to be getting “accurate glucose data” and I think Dexcom is the best out there right now. Any thoughts to help me make a decision is much appreciated.

Does that not mean that your decision is already made?
Or am I not understanding something?

Maybe, not sure. the Medtronic is sitting here unopened. If I felt the Tandem better suited my needs and I could get it I would try to see about sending Medtronic back. Reversing that decision. Its a 5 year commitment to something that is as important to a type 1 diabetic as breathing is to everyone else.
I’ve always been happy with my pumps and hate every time I had to change pumps. And now using CGM (Dexcom) this has been a big life changer. So I need a pump that will make my life easier and pump and Dexcom working together makes sense to me.

When I spoke to Tandem CSR, they enthusiastically told me how they were in the process of rolling everything out to Canada. They said the G6 and the basal IQ is now up and running in the US and they have every intention of making all the same technology available in Canada. Dexcom said pretty well the same thing about the G6.

Honestly if it was me up in Canada, I would strongly consider waiting for now if possible to hear definitive information from Dexcom and Tandem regarding the G6 and the Basal-IQ.

Those really are huge parts of the Tandem / Dexcom integrated system.

I would be very uncomfortable switching without having solid information on that.

If there is no downside to sitting and waiting, I would consider that a valid choice.

Absolutely. I know for a fact that is true. 100%.

However, that is not even close to having an actual timeframe. Two totally different things.

At least in the US you only have 30 days to return it. Which is a problem because it can easily take that long before you’re trained up and have done the 7-day algorithm acclimation in order to actually use auto-mode, and it takes at least a month to get it dialed in to your own metabolism–for most people, even the ones who are thrilled with it, it can be more like 3 months.