Just Been Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes? A Beginner's Guide & Checklist

If you or your child have just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, your head is probably spinning. There's new language, new gear, a new daily routine and what feels like a hundred appointments. Take a breath. You don't have to work it all out today.

This guide covers the basics: what Type 1 diabetes is, the first things to learn, how to register for the NDSS and how to get your diabetes supplies in Australia. There's a checklist to help you keep track, plus a section for parents.

Start with the essentials and let the rest come with time. Your diabetes team – often an endocrinologist, a credentialled diabetes educator (CDE) and a dietitian – will take you through the details. 

This checklist helps you keep track of what to learn first.

• Learn about your insulin routine
  Find out which insulin you're on, when to take it, how much to take and how to store it, including on hot days and when you're travelling. Keep a note on your phone for questions as they pop up between appointments. No question is too small.
• Learn how to monitor your blood glucose
  Whether you're using a finger-prick meter, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or both, ask your team to show you how it works, what your target range is and how often to check. If you're using a CGM, ask about setting up alerts and, if your device allows it, sharing readings with family.
• Get familiar with your diabetes supplies
  Pen needles, test strips, CGM sensors, pump supplies, a sharps container, glucose treats – it adds up fast. Make a simple list of what you use and how often, so you know what you need and when to reorder.
• Learn what to do when your blood glucose is high or low
  Ask your team for a written plan for hypos (low glucose) and hypers (high glucose), including when to check for ketones. Keep fast-acting glucose with you at all times: at home, in the car and in your bag. The NDSS has a helpful guide to hypoglycaemia. If you're ever worried someone is seriously unwell, call 000.
• Register for the NDSS
  It's free, you only need to do it once, and it gives you access to subsidised diabetes supplies. There's more on how to do it below.
• Build your support network
  Tell the people you spend the most time with, like family, friends, housemates, work or your child's school. Show them what a hypo can look like and what to do if you need help.

That's a lot to take in, so don't try to tick it all off in the first week. Get comfortable with one thing, then move on to the next.

Most diabetes supplies in Australia are subsidised through the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). Once you're registered, you can get them from an NDSS Access Point, which is usually your local community pharmacy. You don't need a prescription for NDSS products.

Insulin works differently. It's a prescription medicine, so it isn't supplied through the NDSS, but it is subsidised by the PBS. Also known as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the PBS is the Australian Government's way of helping you pay for medicines, so you don't have to pay the whole cost yourself). You'll need a script from your doctor, which you fill at a pharmacy like any other medication. 

Once you know what you use, the trick is staying ahead of it. Realising you're on your last sensor on a Friday night is stressful, and it happens to a lot of people in the early days. 

A few habits that might help:

• Keep a running list of your supplies and how quickly you get through them
• Reorder when you open your second-last box, not your last
• Set up a regular delivery so you're not relying on memory, like a Stripped Supply subscription

The NDSS is an Australian Government initiative, administered by Diabetes Australia, that helps people with diabetes access subsidised products, information and support. 

Registration is free and you only need to register once. 

Beyond supplies, the NDSS offers:

• The NDSS Helpline (1800 637 700), where you can speak with a diabetes educator or dietitian
• Free education programs, including a "Starting out with type 1 diabetes" webinar for people who have recently been diagnosed
• The Type 1 diabetes and me hub, with videos and fact sheets on everything from carb counting to sick days. Handy!

Well, you don't. Instead, a health professional registers you. Ask at your next appointment and they'll complete and sign the NDSS registration form with you. If you were diagnosed in hospital, ask your team whether it's already been submitted  during your hospital stay.

To be eligible, you need to:

• Have been diagnosed with diabetes by a doctor
• Live in Australia and hold, or be eligible for, a Medicare or DVA card (or be from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia)

Health professionals who can register you include GPs, endocrinologists, credentialled diabetes educators, nurse practitioners, practice nurses and Aboriginal Health Practitioners.

While you're waiting for your NDSS card, you can still get products by showing your Medicare card at an NDSS Access Point. When your card arrives, take a photo of it and save your NDSS number somewhere easy to find. You'll need it whenever you order supplies.

Not sure if you're eligible? Call the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700.

Once you're registered, the NDSS gives you access to subsidised:

• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products
• Blood glucose monitoring strips
• Insulin pump consumables, like infusion sets, reservoirs and pods
• Pen needles and syringes

Most products have a small co-payment. This is called a "General Co-Payment". 

Pen needles and syringes are currently free, and co-payments can be lower for concession card holders and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There are also limits on how much you can order in a set period. The NDSS products page has the current details.

A note on CGMs: All people with Type 1 diabetes can apply for subsidised CGM through the NDSS. Your access needs to be certified by an endocrinologist, a credentialled diabetes educator, or a physician or paediatrician who specialises in diabetes. GPs and practice nurses can't certify CGM access, so ask your diabetes team whether a CGM is right for you.

Wondering how to actually get your hands on your NDSS supplies? Read our guide on How to Order NDSS Supplies.

A Type 1 diabetes diagnosis can be a big adjustment, and having people around you who understand what you’re going through can make the transition easier.

Support usually comes from three places: your diabetes team, your own people and the wider Type 1 community. Most people find they need all three, but of course, find the support that works best for you.

• Your diabetes team. They're your go-to for anything to do with your treatment. Between appointments, the NDSS Helpline (1800 637 700) can connect you with a diabetes educator or dietitian.
• Family and friends. Share as much as you're comfortable with. People often want to help but don't know how, so be specific. Show them where you keep your glucose treats and what to do if you're having a hypo. Remember, these are the people in your life who care about you the most: it's never a bother to learn more about your new diagnosis. 
• The Type 1 community. Talking to someone who just gets it can make a big difference. Breakthrough T1D runs a Peer Support Program and community groups for adults, teens and young adults, and parents and carers. Diabetes Australia has information and support services too. You might even find your community online, and there are plenty of Facebook groups or online creators sharing their story on their public profiles.

It's also completely normal to feel overwhelmed, sad, angry or even numb after a diagnosis. If those feelings stick around, tell your GP or diabetes team. Your emotional wellbeing is part of your diabetes care, and a pretty big part of it too.

Right now, it might feel like diabetes has taken over everything. But the things that feel completely foreign this week – the finger pricks, the carb maths, the alarms – will start to feel familiar. One day you'll realise they've just become part of your routine.

Learn one thing at a time. Ask all the questions. And lean on your diabetes team, your people and the Type 1 community. It's what they're here for.

And when you're ready, we can take one job off your plate. Stripped Supply delivers your diabetes supplies to your door on a regular schedule through our independent, partner pharmacies around Australia. That includes CGMs and CGM patches, pump supplies, pen needles and sharps, test strips, glucose treats and other pharmacy essentials. 

No more last-minute chemist runs. After all, you've got enough to think about already.

Make staying stocked one less thing to think about – join Stripped Supply, Australia's first diabetes subscription box.