Preventative Health

Diabetes

General:

 

You must provide your medical examiner with the following information:

  • Date onset of Diabetes.
  • Name and location of treating health care professional.
  • What interventions have been done.
  • Medications you are taking. 
  • Treatment plan.
  • Side effects of medication. 
  • Report: Any history of dizziness or fatigue, any complications (nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy), last A1C (when and what is number), how often blood sugar is monitored, any hypoglycemic episodes resulting in seizure, the need for assistance from someone else, any sudden incapacitation.

 

Document: presence or lack of insulin, last A1C (when and  how often blood sugar is monitored), having glucometer on person and understanding use.

 

Certification:

  1. Certify up to one year for:
    1. Driver with controlled diabetes who is NOT on insulin with no disqualifying condition
  2. Certify less than a year for:
    1. Driver with poor control but not at risk of sudden incapacitation
    2. Driver on incretin mimetic (Byetta, etc.)
  3. Do not certify the driver who:
    1. Uses insulin OF ANY KIND to control diabetes – needs exemption
    2. In the last 12 months, experienced a hypoglycemic reaction resulting in:

                                               i.     Seizure

                                              ii.     Loss of consciousness

                                             iii.     Need of assistance from another person

                                             iv.     Period of impaired cognitive function that occurred without warning

  1. In the last 5 years, had recurring (two or more) disqualifying hypoglycemic reactions (as described above).
  2. Loss of position sensation.
  3. Loss of pedal sensation
  4. Resting tachycardia
  5. Orthostatic hypotension
  6. Diagnosis of:

                                               i.     Peripheral neuropathy.

                                              ii.     Proliferative retinopathy (e.g., unstable proliferative or non-proliferative).

 

 

Your examiner will not be able to determine if you can obtain a state or federal exemption.  This depends on whether you as a driver perform inter or intrastate commerce.  This is for the motor carrier to determine.