Test Strips and Lancets

[FractalFragger]

Hi All,

i was diagnosed with diabetes last week and immediately hopped on the healthy eating and exercise bandwagon TeHe. However after catching up with my GP this morning i asked about a Blood Glucose Monitor, He advised me that i dont need to be self testing. As i have read on here and after speaking to a work colleague who has diabetes as well, how would i be able to get it under control if i don't know what I'm eating, drinking etc is working for me without self testing.

Anyways i have managed to get a free Blood Glucose Monitor online at www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk but it has only come with 10 lancets and 10 strips.

If my GP wont write me a prescription for replacement lancets and strips, where would i be able to get replacement stuff. I use Freestyle Optimum Test Strips and the abbotcare lancet device.

Any information would be greatly received.

Regards
Mark

 

[borofergie]

ebay is by far the cheapest, especially if you buy in bulk.

 

[noblehead]

You could try Abbott first although I doubt they'll be very cheap, alternatively try putting the make into the Google search engine and see what comes up.

 

[hanadr]

FF
you CAN'T know what's going on without a meter.
I personally don't buy strips from eBay, because I did once and when the pack arrived, It had obviously had a pharmacy label torn off it. It was prescribed to someone who sold it. I disapprove of that. I buy from Abbott Diabetes Care, who give me an excellent level of service.
Hana

 

[borofergie]

I personally don't buy strips from eBay, because I did once and when the pack arrived, It had obviously had a pharmacy label torn off it. It was prescribed to someone who sold it. I disapprove of that. I buy from Abbott Diabetes Care, who give me an excellent level of service.
Hana

I on the other hand don't give a monkeys whether it's ex-prescription or not. I pay massive amounts of tax and get next to nothing in return. As far as I can see, the secondary market in test strips is entirely of the NHS' own making. If they prescribed the strips to the people that needed them, there wouldn't be enough buyers to make selling them on ebay worthwhile.

 

[catza]

I may be worthwhile looking at the SD Codefree on Ebay, Although you would need to buy their meter the test strips are the cheapest you can get and, if like Hana, you don't want to get involved with people selling on their prescription strips then you will have no worries about the SD Codefree brand as the NHS doesn't seem to prescribe that make.

 

[noblehead]

I personally don't buy strips from eBay, because I did once and when the pack arrived, It had obviously had a pharmacy label torn off it.

That' is disgraceful Hana, I do hope you reported the seller to eBay as I would.

 

[borderter]

Maybe the seller had changed meters and as I have done sold the spare strips and bought some for new meter after all throwing them away does not make sense and they destroy them if you return them to chemist

 

[AMBrennan]

Yes, I'm sure that that's the most likely explanation.

As for the rest, I would have thought it obvious that disagreeing with the law doesn't give you the right to ignore it but hey, it's diabetes.co.uk forums. Things work differently around here.

 

[borofergie]

As for the rest, I would have thought it obvious that disagreeing with the law doesn't give you the right to ignore it but hey, it's diabetes.co.uk forums. Things work differently around here.

Yes, I'm a very bad man. Let's hope they don't throw away the key.

 

[jopar]

I would keep moaning at your GP to see if you can get a prescription.. If you take your readings etc as prove that you are using the test strips pro-actively to help change your lifestyle, and take a print out of the NICE guide lines to support your need of test strips... You never know your luck you may wear them down into at least giving you some test strips..

As to where to buy in the mean time..

Abbot and yes ebay with care...

I'm with Hana on this one, that anybody selling on strips that they've received on prescription is putting it politely immoral...

It's illegal to sale or give to a 3rd person an item that has been prescribed to you... Be it a POM medication/equipment or medication/equipment that you can purchase over the counter...

So if it happens it needs to be reported to ebay, and also to the NHS who will know doubt follow it up...

What really get's my goat about people who do this, isn't the money they make but the impact it has on others... Because it's because of people like this, who collect prescriptions for items that can be sold on the open market, that T2's are now being refused test strips, and T1's are being restricted to the amount they are allowed to have...

 

[FractalFragger]

Hi Jopar,

How would i go about finding the NICE Guidelines?

Thanks

Mark

 

[jopar]

Here you are Mark, a direct link for you, just need to download the file http://guidance.nice.org.uk/index.jsp?a ... ad&o=40804

But do keep on at your doctor..

And don't forget phrases like, how do I know that changes are working if I can't see how it's changing my blood glucose control.

 

[Grazer]

Yes, I'm sure that that's the most likely explanation.

As for the rest, I would have thought it obvious that disagreeing with the law doesn't give you the right to ignore it but hey, it's diabetes.co.uk forums. Things work differently around here.

Well said by someone who gets their strips free. Or at least, paid for by people like Borofergie and me

 

[Paul1976]

Here you are Mark, a direct link for you, just need to download the file http://guidance.nice.org.uk/index.jsp?a ... ad&o=40804

But do keep on at your doctor..

And don't forget phrases like, how do I know that changes are working if I can't see how it's changing my blood glucose control.

+1 and to add..."How will I know if my condition is suddenly deteriorating without being able to measure my levels?"

 

[noblehead]

Here you are Mark, a direct link for you, just need to download the file http://guidance.nice.org.uk/index.jsp?a ... ad&o=40804

But do keep on at your doctor..

And don't forget phrases like, how do I know that changes are working if I can't see how it's changing my blood glucose control.

+1 and to add..."How will I know if my condition is suddenly deteriorating without being able to measure my levels?"

+1 again :thumbup: