In the wake of continued widespread flooding and power outages in the US Gulf Coast and Northeast from Hurricane Ida, the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition (DDRC) has collated a complete list of national and state resources to support all people with diabetes.
During a continued state-of-emergency, it is even more critical for people with diabetes to have access to the medications and testing supplies needed to maintain blood glucose control effectively and prevent sudden severe complications such as hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. With electricity down for days, or longer, makes it difficult to refrigerate or store life-saving insulin. Medication and diabetes supplies may be lost, damaged, or run out, and drinking water and healthy food may be difficult to find.
The DDRC, composed of the nation’s leading diabetes organizations, is urging all people with diabetes and their loved ones to reach out if they experience shortages of diabetes supplies and need information on how to stay healthy and safe.
Available Resources:
● People with Diabetes: 1-800-DIABETES is available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday for individuals with diabetes who have questions about diabetes medicine and supplies, find an open pharmacy or locate a shelter.
● Insulin Storage Tips: If a person has lost power and has unused insulin, DO NOT THROW IT OUT! This resource explains how to safely store insulin during a disaster.
● Health Care Providers: 1-314-INSULIN is a hotline for physicians and health care providers to report diabetes supply shortages and request support.
● Health Care Providers: DDRC Insulin Switching Guide: In the event that a person must switch insulin, this resource provides guidance for professionals.
● Tips for First Responders are also available on the DDRC website with critical diabetes information to support people in need of help.
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,About the DDRC
The American Diabetes Association® (ADA), Insulin for Life–USA (IFL), and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) are the founding partners of the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition (DDRC), a coordinated disaster-response effort with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES), Beyond Type 1, Children with Diabetes (CWD), the College Diabetes Network, the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, DiaTribe, the Endocrine Society, Insulet Corporation, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, Lilly Diabetes, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Sociedad Puertorriqueña Endocrinologia Y Diabetologia (SPED), Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), and T1D Exchange.
The Coalition is focused on its roles as educator, communicator, and advocate, leveraging its collective resources and influence to bring together the diabetes community, public agencies, disaster response organizations, retailers, elected officials, drug and device manufacturers and others to (1) prepare people with diabetes and their caregivers with the information and resources to remain healthy and safe during a disaster; (2) remove roadblocks to patient access to prescriptions and diabetes supplies during times of disaster; (3) support and increase access to diabetes specialists to assist with diabetes care in shelters and other health care settings during times of disaster by sharing information between diabetes specialists/providers and those organizations that place volunteers on the ground; and (4) serve as a communications hub during times of disaster, helping to identify and address unmet medical needs of people living with diabetes by connecting them to providers on the ground.
