Cost of blood glucose and ketone strips to NHS

[Spiker]

I saw my GP's pharmacist today.

Accu Chek Mobile cassettes are now available to me at about the same unit price (to my GP) per test as the Accu Chek Compact drums. £30 per 100 or 30p per test.

I can also get blood ketone strips now. They cost the GP £20 for 10 for the Glucomen LX and £19 for 10 for the Freestyle Optium. I got some but I will only use them if I am actually ill and fighting off ketones. I will continue to use cheap-as-chips Ketostix to check if ketones are present in the first place.



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[Spiker]

Now I am in Boots and their prices to the public are much higher. Unit costs of 40p a strip for Accu Chek Compact and BG Star, 56p for One Touch Ultra and Accu Chek Mobile, 60p for Accu Chek Aviva.

The Codefree strips at 14p from online shops look very good in comparison.

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[CarbsRok]

I saw my GP's pharmacist today.

Accu Chek Mobile cassettes are now available to me at about the same unit price (to my GP) per test as the Accu Chek Compact drums. £30 per 100 or 30p per test.

I can also get blood ketone strips now. They cost the GP £20 for 10 for the Glucomen LX and £19 for 10 for the Freestyle Optium. I got some but I will only use them if I am actually ill and fighting off ketones. I will continue to use cheap-as-chips Ketostix to check if ketones are present in the first place.



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He's having you on isn't he? I can not see the NHS paying that amount, as average for other strips is about £13.
Perhaps try the bnf site for the amount the nhs pays.

 

[Spiker]

He's having you on isn't he? I can not see the NHS paying that amount, as average for other strips is about £13.
Perhaps try the bnf site for the amount the nhs pays.

Well she said £15 for 51 for the Compact and £30 for 100 for the Mobile and she confirmed this is what the NHS pays. But I hope you are right, it's a helluva lot.

 

[Dee_226]

http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm is where I buy my testing bits.

The test strips can be bought as follows: 250 strips for £25,99 including delivery by using Promo Code 264086 and no need to fill out VAT relief forms as the company does it for you.

Unless anyone can find cheaper with faster delivery and great service I will be sticking to this company (they also sell on ebay and amazon but cheaper to use their website).

Hugs,

 

[borofergie]

That's still small compared to the cost of fixing busted kidneys, bleeding eyeballs, and amputated toes...

#FalseEconomies

 

[CarbsRok]

Meter (all

)Type of monitoringCompatible
test stripsTest strip
net priceSensitivity range (mmol/litre)Manufacturer
Accu-Chek® Active(1)Blood glucoseActive®50-strip pack = £9.950.6–33.3Roche Diagnostics
Accu-Chek® Advantage(1)Blood glucoseAdvantage Plus®50-strip pack = £15.890.6–33.3Roche Diagnostics
Accu-Chek® AvivaBlood glucoseAviva®50-strip pack = £15.590.6–33.3Roche Diagnostics
Accu-Chek® Aviva ExpertBlood glucoseAviva®50-strip pack = £15.590.6–33.3Roche Diagnostics
Accu-Chek® Compact Plus(1)Blood glucoseCompact®3 × 17-strip pack = £16.010.6–33.3Roche Diagnostics
Accu-Chek® MobileBlood glucoseMobile®100 tests = £31.900.3–33.3Roche Diagnostics
Accu-Chek® Aviva Nano Blood glucoseAviva®50-strip pack = £15.590.6–33.3Roche Diagnostics
BGStar®(2)Blood glucoseBGStar®50-strip pack = £14.731.1–33.3Sanofi
Breeze 2®Blood glucoseBreeze 2®5 × 10-disc pack = £14.870.6–33.3Bayer Diabetes Care
CareSens N®(2)Blood glucoseCareSens N®50-strip pack = £12.751.1–33.3Spirit Healthcare
Contour®Blood glucoseContour®
Formerly Ascensia® Microfill
50-strip pack = £15.110.6–33.3Bayer Diabetes Care
Contour® XT Blood glucoseContour® Next 50-strip pack = £15.040.6–33.3Bayer Diabetes Care
Element®Blood glucoseElement®50-strip pack = £9.890.55–33.3Neon Diagnostics
FreeStyle®(1)Blood glucoseFreeStyle®50-strip pack = £15.601.1–27.8Abbott
FreeStyle Freedom®(1)Blood glucoseFreeStyle®50-strip pack = £15.601.1–27.8Abbott
FreeStyle Freedom Lite®Blood glucoseFreeStyle Lite®50-strip pack = £15.601.1–27.8Abbott
FreeStyle InsuLinx® Blood glucoseFreeStyle Lite®50-strip pack = £15.601.1–27.8Abbott
FreeStyle Lite®Blood glucoseFreeStyle Lite®50-strip pack = £15.601.1–27.8Abbott
FreeStyle Mini®(1)Blood glucoseFreeStyle®50-strip pack = £15.601.1–27.8Abbott
FreeStyle Optium®Blood glucoseFreeStyle Optium®50-strip pack = £15.501.1–27.8Abbott
Blood ketonesFreeStyle Optium® β-ketone10-strip pack = £20.860–8.0Abbott
FreeStyle Optium Neo®Blood glucoseFreeStyle Optium®50-strip pack = £15.501.1–27.8Abbott
Blood ketonesFreeStyle Optium® β-ketone10-strip pack = £20.860–8.0Abbott
GlucoDock® module (for use with iPhone®, iPod touch®, and iPad®)Blood glucoseGlucoDock® 50-strip pack = £14.901.1–33.3Medisana
GlucoLab®Blood glucoseGlucoLab®50-strip pack = £9.890.55–33.3Neon Diagnostics
GlucoMen® Glycó(1)Blood glucoseGlucoMen®50-strip pack = £14.591.1–33.3Menarini Diagnostics
GlucoMen® GMBlood glucoseGlucoMen GM®50-strip pack = £9.950.6–33.3Menarini Diagnostics
GlucoMen® LXBlood glucoseGlucoMen® LX Sensor50-strip pack = £15.391.1–33.3Menarini Diagnostics
GlucoMen® LX PlusBlood glucoseGlucoMen® LX Sensor50-strip pack = £15.391.1–33.3Menarini Diagnostics
Blood ketonesGlucoMen® LX Ketone10-strip pack = £20.570–0.8Menarini Diagnostics
GlucoMen® PC(1)Blood glucoseGlucoMen®50-strip pack = £14.591.1–33.3Menarini Diagnostics
GlucoMen® VisioBlood glucoseGlucoMen® Visio Sensor50-strip pack = £15.501.1–33.3Menarini Diagnostics
GlucoRx®(2)Blood glucoseGlucoRx®50-strip pack = £9.451.1–33.3GlucoRx
GlucoRx Nexus®(2)Blood glucoseGlucoRx Nexus®50-strip pack = £9.951.1–33.3GlucoRx
Glucotrend®(1)Blood glucoseActive®50-strip pack = £9.950.6–33.3Roche Diagnostics
iBGStar®Blood glucoseBGStar®50-strip pack = £14.731.1–33.3Sanofi
IME-DC®Blood glucoseIME-DC®50-strip pack = £14.101.1–33.3Arctic Medical
Mendor Discreet® Blood glucoseMendor Discreet® 50-strip pack = £14.751.1–33.3Merck Serono
Microdot®+(2)Blood glucoseMicrodot®+50-strip pack = £9.991.1–29.2Cambridge Sensors
MyGlucoHealth®Blood glucoseMyGlucoHealth®50-strip pack = £15.500.6–33.3Entra Health
Omnitest® 3Blood glucoseOmnitest® 350-strip pack = £9.890.6–33.3B. Braun
One Touch Ultra®(1)Blood glucoseOne Touch Ultra®50-strip pack = £11.991.1–33.3LifeScan
One Touch Ultra 2®(2)Blood glucoseOne Touch Ultra®50-strip pack = £11.991.1–33.3LifeScan
One Touch UltraEasy®(2)Blood glucoseOne Touch Ultra®50-strip pack = £11.991.1–33.3LifeScan
One Touch UltraSmart®(2)Blood glucoseOne Touch Ultra®50-strip pack = £11.991.1–33.3LifeScan
One Touch® VerioPro(2)Blood glucoseOne Touch® Verio50-strip pack = £14.991.1–33.3LifeScan
One Touch® Vita(2)Blood glucoseOne Touch® Vita50-strip pack = £15.071.1–33.3LifeScan
SD CodeFree® Blood glucoseSD CodeFree® 50-strip pack = £6.990.6–33.3SD Biosensor
Sensocard Plus®(1)Blood glucoseSensocard®50-strip pack= £16.301.1–33.3BBI Healthcare
SuperCheck2®(2)Blood glucoseSuperCheck2®50-strip pack = £8.491.1–33.3Apollo Medical
TRUEone®Blood glucoseAll-in-one test strips and meter50-strip pack with meter = £14.991.1–33.3Nipro Diagnostics
TRUEresult®(2)Blood glucoseTRUEresult®50-strip pack = £14.991.1–33.3Nipro Diagnostics
TRUEresult twist®(2)Blood glucoseTRUEresult®50-strip pack = £14.991.1–33.3Nipro Diagnostics
TRUEtrack®Blood glucoseTRUEtrack®50-strip pack = £14.991.1–33.3Nipro Diagnostics
TRUEyou mini®Blood glucoseTRUEyou®50-strip pack = £9.921.1–33.3Nipro Diagnostics
WaveSense JAZZ®(2)Blood glucoseWaveSense JAZZ®50-strip pack = £9.871.1–33.3AgaMatrix



From the BNF site

 

[noblehead]

It's still shocking the price of test strips, surely if Biosensor can sell their strips for £6.99 ( for a tub of 50) how is that Roche et al are twice the price but have a bigger share of the market?

 

[Spiker]

It is certainly sobering that I am paying 4x as much for my Roche strips than the cheapest price. Admittedly the SD Codefree strips are very low tech and generic, but they do the job. I would argue that the convenience of the Roche Compact and Mobile designs helps me to test in situations where I otherwise wouldn't - work, eating out, etc. When I first used the Mobile I was abroad and had to pay 20% of the strips cost myself - so roughly the same cost as self funding the SD Codefree. We are very lucky to get free strips on the NHS (for Type 1s) and have such a wide choice too. We should never take the NHS for granted.

You could argue that instead of T1s getting 60p strips for free, and T2s paying for 14p strips, it would be better to give all T1s and half the T2s 14p strips for free.

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[borofergie]

You could argue that instead of T1s getting 60p strips for free, and T2s paying for 14p strips, it would be better to give all T1s and half the T2s 14p strips for free.

I misread this as "T1s should give half their strips to T2s for free..."

I was typing in my address and everything.

 

[borofergie]

It's still shocking the price of test strips, surely if Biosensor can sell their strips for £6.99 ( for a tub of 50) how is that Roche et al are twice the price but have a bigger share of the market?

Wow 10,000 posts Nigel! Congratulations! That takes some doing.

 

[Dee_226]

hmmmmmm, have noticed on the home page of http://www.homehealth-uk.com/index.html (near the bottom on the left) it states that they accept NHS Purchase Orders, does that mean that an NHS surgery could order SD Codefree Meters, test strips and lancets direct from them or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

 

[Westie2]

Please be aware that BNF prices are NHS prices and do NOT relate to purchase prices over the counter. A couple of years ago there was only one company offering the NHS a sub £10 BGT strip, now there are a number of companies offering their BG strips at a more cost effective price.
As discussed before the companies are happy to issue their meters FOC as they make their profit by sales of the strips.


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[Westie2]

I also should have added the practice has to buy their own strips for use in practice. The cost of strips etc for patients is part of their prescribing budget and so they would not provide strips from any stock they may hold.


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[phoenix]

In the UK the law allows the companies/pharmacies to charge what the market will stand. Price maintenance is something that went out of the political window years ago.

Here there is a maximum price that can be charged and that's the effective price since no-one undercuts. .It is the same price whether you are the health service or an individual and is the same price for all strips. It's fixed after 'consultation' with the industry. So what people have to pay is dependent on the negotiating skills of the government. Presumably the pharmacies get them cheaper or they would make no profit.

The price is being lowered by a few centimes in June. to 19.02€ for 50 (£15.65 at todays conversion rate). T2s not on insulin/sulfs get a max 200 on prescription.
(no freebie meters here though either, that price is also fixed and only 1 prescription every 4 years)
http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000028054829
In Belgium the fixed price is apparently higher (or so I read on a forum) at 25.76€ with no 'free' prescriptions to T2s.http://forum.e-sante.fr/remboursement-bandelettes-one-touch-vita/forum/375

 

[smidge]

Given that the strips for the big brands are all pretty much the same in the UK, I would have thought an investigation for price fixing was in order.

As I've said before though, they recoup the costs of research and development in the price of the strips. I've no idea how many millions £s get spent on R&D of meters and strips, but you can bet your life our Governments wouldn't provide the money directly, so drastically cutting strip prices would significantly reduce R&D. Nothing's free and nothing's ever as simple as it seems. Any look at costs needs to look at the bigger picture.

Smidge

 

[spaceman]

ok youre all talking about the prices of test strips, i myself and other diabetics i know all get all there diabetic medication free of charge

 

[Dee_226]

Lucky you.

There are a lot of us who are not supplied with meters or strips.

I have to buy my own.

 

[Spiker]

ok youre all talking about the prices of test strips, i myself and other diabetics i know all get all there diabetic medication free of charge

I am a type 1 diabetic in the UK so the strips are all free to me, but I started this thread because I'm still concerned about what the NHS and my GP are being charged for them. Particularly as my GP practice group can (and do) refuse to give me certain supplies if they don't think the cost is justified.

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[noblehead]

ok youre all talking about the prices of test strips, i myself and other diabetics i know all get all there diabetic medication free of charge

Sure all type 1's do in the UK and some type 2 do but it's a lottery for them, many have to self-fund which can be expensive.