Dr. Tom Elliott, Author at BCDiabetes

Yesterday BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix announced Pharmacare coverage of the SGLT-2 inhibitor class represented by empagliflozin (Jardiance). Although BCDiabetes would have preferred that all three SGLT2 inhibitors on the Canadian market be covered, the long overdue announcement was most welcome news. Our readers will be aware of the long-running BCDiabetes advocacy campaign for […]

Today (2019-Apr-15) the results of the much anticipated CREDENCE study which examined the benefits of canagliflozin (a member of the SGLT2 inhibitor class) were presented in Melbourne, Australia. Striking benefits were shown for individuals with Type 2 diabetes-related kidney disease including a 30% reduction in progression of kidney disease, 20% reduction in cardiovascular death/heart attack/stroke […]

BCDiabetes is actively lobbying with Pharmacare to cover a number of life-saving therapies and devices. At the top of our list is the SGLT2 inhibitor class of medication: see this video made with Diabetes Canada & previous blogs here, here and here. SGLT2 inhibitors are covered in every Canadian province except BC. In the 2019-Feb […]

On February 1, 2019, the prestigious medical journal the Lancet published a meta-analysis examining potential benefits the statin and class of medication. The article confirmed and extended the powerful evidence for benefit for the use of statins in people with a previous history of heart disease, stroke and for those with diabetes.  It showed that […]

Yesterday Health Canada issued a warning around HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide), a commonly used diuretic blood pressure lowering medication: The warning was issued because of new evidence suggesting a 4-fold increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in individuals who have taken HCTZ for 3+ years. Non-melanoma skin cancer is made up of  basal-cell skin cancer (BCC) & […]

I began specialist diabetes practice in 1992 – with it began my lifetime mission to optimize care and improve outcomes for every British Columbian living with diabetes.  As my staff grew I realized that everything depended on teamwork – thus in 2005 was born BCDiabetes.   BCDiabetes, with its dedicated staff of 14, is now […]

2018-Oct-10 saw Health Canada approve the Medtronic 670G insulin pump, the first of its kind in Canada to support closed-loop functionality for basal insulin.  This innovation, the first step towards an artificial pancreas, is welcome news for every individual with diabetes who is an intensive insulin user (either a pumper or taking multiple daily shots). […]

Lead is a naturally occurring element present in soil and rock – as such lead enters the water supply by a process of leaching. Lead is easily mined and smelted & because it is soft and easily shaped lead was widely used by the ancients to make implements for eating and for drinking and for […]

Kudos to the BC NDP government for extending insulin pump coverage to every British Columbian living with diabetes requiring intensive insulin therapy (effectively all those with Type 1 diabetes and those with Type 2 diabetes taking two different kinds of insulin).  On Tuesday the Minister of Health, Adrian Dix (who has Type 1 diabetes himself […]

On Oct 12 BCDiabetes blogged on the CRA Disability Tax Credit as it applied to Type 1 diabetes and how the CRA had moved the goalposts: see Type 1 Diabetes sucks but dont ask the CRA for sympathy. Good news – the CRA has reversed its policy: so it is back to the old rules […]