Who Gets Continuous Glucose Monitors? New Data Shows Prescription Gaps in Primary Care

Researchers examined prescribing patterns for continuous glucose monitors at a single primary care facility from 2020 to 2024, looking at data from 1,476 patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Their goal was to understand which patients were more or less likely to receive a CGM prescription and what factors influenced those decisions.

The overall picture is striking: fewer than 4% of patients per physician received a CGM prescription during this period. That suggests CGMs remain uncommon in primary care settings, even though they can provide valuable real-time glucose information to help people manage their diabetes.

Several factors were strongly linked to receiving a CGM prescription. Patients who were younger, had Type 1 diabetes, and were taking insulin were significantly more likely to be prescribed one. Additionally, patients with higher HbA1C values—a marker of long-term blood sugar control—were more likely to receive a CGM.

These patterns align with previous CGM research and suggest that primary care doctors may be prioritizing CGM prescriptions for patients they perceive as having the greatest need or most complex diabetes management.

Interestingly, the opposite was also true: patients with other nutritional or metabolic diseases, or those with abnormal lab values, were actually less likely to receive a CGM prescription. This finding raises questions about why patients with additional health concerns might be overlooked for CGM technology, especially since more complex health situations could potentially benefit from closer glucose monitoring.

The researchers emphasize that these findings highlight a gap between who is currently getting CGMs and who might be eligible for them. While patterns like prescribing more often to younger people with Type 1 diabetes appear in other studies too, the overall low prescription rate suggests that many patients who could benefit from continuous glucose monitoring may not be aware of it or may not have access to it through their primary care doctors.

The authors call for more research into how primary care doctors make prescribing decisions about CGMs. Better understanding of these decisions could help create strategies to improve access and ensure that all eligible patients have the opportunity to use this technology if it fits their needs and care plan.

Source: Journal of diabetes research. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.