The Omnipod 5 hybrid closed loop system can now integrate with the Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus Sensor in the UK, which will give people living with diabetes additional choice and flexibility for managing their blood sugar levels.
We welcome this announcement from Insulet, the manufacturers of Omnipod 5. This hybrid closed loop system is available on the NHS for those eligible, and you can check with your local diabetes team to see if the device will be available for you.
What is Omnipod 5?
Omnipod 5 is the first and only tubeless hybrid closed loop system that can integrate with two continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensors: the Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus and the Dexcom G6.
Omnipod 5 is approved for people living with type 1 diabetes aged two years and older in the UK.
Omnipod 5 is made by Insulet, who are working with the NHS to ensure access for people living with type 1 diabetes, who are eligible for the device, in line with recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraisal of hybrid closed loop.
In Scotland, the Scottish Health Technologies Group made recommendations for a rollout of diabetes technology across Scotland at the start of 2022. We are still waiting for a comprehensive funding plan for rolling out hybrid closed loop systems. But in May 2024, we welcomed the announcement of up to £8.8 million additional funding for diabetes technology by the Scottish Government.
Insulet has also said that it is working to develop Omnipod 5 integration with a wider range of CGM sensors.
When can I use Omnipod 5 with the FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus Sensor?
Insulet has said that people living with diabetes can now integrate Omnipod 5 with the FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus Sensor.
The FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus sensor became available to be prescribed in the UK from 1 April 2024, but Abbott – the makers of the FreeStyle Libre – have said that wider availability was not expected until June 2024, once GP systems have been updated. This means that your healthcare team might not be able to prescribe it yet.
Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 is also available for people living with diabetes but this cannot connect to the Omnipod 5.
Insulet is currently working on a caregiver solution where users of the Omnipod 5 system integrated with a FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus sensor can share real-time glucose data with guardians or caregivers.
How does Omnipod 5 work?
Omnipod 5 is a tubeless hybrid closed loop system that delivers insulin doses automatically.
As this is a patch pump system, the waterproof pod delivering the insulin sits directly on the skin, which Insulet says some users prefer because of fewer pieces of hardware required and lower risk of tubes getting caught or blocked.
The system features an integrated algorithm, known as ‘SmartAdjust’ technology, which receives glucose values and trends every five minutes.
Omnipod 5 can then predict what a person’s sugar levels will be 60 minutes later, and it automatically adjusts insulin doses or pauses insulin delivery based on a person’s blood sugar targets.
Insulet says this simplifies diabetes management by making insulin dosing decisions for a user, so they don’t have to.
The system also comes with an activity feature which can be enabled to reduce insulin delivery during exercise.
If you use the Omnipod 5 system integrated with the Dexcom G6 then you will need a smartphone to use the Dexcom App. The Dexcom G6 Receiver can’t be used with the Omnipod 5 system because the system is only compatible only with the Dexcom G6 App on a smartphone.
How do I access Omnipod 5?
Omnipod 5 was made available in the US in 2022, and in 2023 it became available for people living with type 1 diabetes aged two years or older in the UK.
In December 2023 NICE released final appraisal recommendations in England and Wales which means that over 100,000 people with type 1 diabetes could be offered hybrid closed loop technology as an option to help manage their condition over a planned five-year implementation period.
And in April 2024, NHS England announced that the rollout of these systems is now starting in England.
We know that there are ongoing discussions between the Scottish Government and the NHS around funding for the rollout of hybrid closed loop in Scotland.
Omnipod 5 is available on the NHS for those eligible and you can check with your local diabetes team to see if the device will be available for you.
The Dexcom G6 CGM is available on the NHS for those eligible or it can be self-funded, separately from the Omnipod 5.
