paying through the nose

FordPrefect

Well-Known Member
Messages
139
You definitely shouldn't feel guilty I know I dont. I have paid various taxes and NI for years and my parents paid most of there lives and never lived to pension age.
 

nana_lil

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 2
All of my meds have been free for the last ten years and I have a medical exemption certificate which I got as soon as I was prescribed oral meds for diabetes.....I even get new monitors on a reg basis as the drug companies send them to diabetic clinic/doctor for handing out to patients. I am in Scotland I take it England is diff?

Lil
xx
 

ham79

Well-Known Member
Messages
252
Dislikes
diabetes and cbeebies
I now have 4 monitors pm me getting rid of 2 if I get sent anymore I'll pop them on here
 

TracyA

Well-Known Member
Messages
49
Dislikes
Liars and ignorant people.
Think Im one of the lucky ones here in the South East.I have a repeat prescription for Testing strips and Lancets. :D
 

BSR

Member
Messages
6
I tried the what am I supposed to do without my medicine and then had to crawl to be allowed to stay on their list. The power of the medical receptionist is tremendous. The doctor they would have sent me to was 30 miles away on the other side of the county. As I was unemployed at the time that would have been that. I would have had to go without my medicine altogether.
 

AndyS

Well-Known Member
Messages
784
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The NICE guidelines on this make for an interesting read: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG ... ne0509.pdf

Of particular interest is Recomendations 23 (page 51):
Self-monitoring of plasma glucose should be available:
 to those on insulin treatment
 to those on oral glucose lowering medications to provide information on hypoglycaemia
 to assess changes in glucose control resulting from medications and lifestyle changes
 to monitor changes during intercurrent illness
 to ensure safety during activities, including driving.

The final point I think is a real killer in this instance. So if you are T2 and on any kind of medication for it then you should be able to argue for test strips on safety grounds for driving at the very least.

For those recently diagnosed or still fiddling with lifestyle then I would say R22 gives you the amunition you need argue for the strips, at least in the short term... there is no point making changes to your lifestyle if you cannot quantify what their effect is.

I'm T1 so don't have the problem you guys seem to face getting supplies and I think it's disgusting that they make it so much harder for you all.

Maybe try fighting with the NICE guidelines and see what that gets you.

Best of luck to you all

Andy
 

pearl

Member
Messages
8
Oh Dear, I have been a Type 2 Diabetic for the better part of 20 years. I have NEVER paid for my medication. I started out doing diet control,after a time I had to go on gliclazide and I can't recall paying for the perscription. Thirteen years ago I relocated to East anglia from the London area and I still don't Pay for my medication. I am now on Insulin, Metformin,blood pressure tablets and Inhalors for my COPD. Needles,Test Strips and Lancets are also on my repeat Scrip and free. I test my Blood Glucose level occasionally and I have never been told not to.
I'm 73, have good control,as my six monthly check has just confirmed. My maxim is, live your life and everything in moderation!
 

hanadr

Expert
Messages
8,157
Dislikes
soaps on telly and people talking about the characters as if they were real.
I pay for my strips, relucantly, but I'm aware that if I got my strips, one more cancer patient might not get some expensive life saving drugs. I don't like paying, but I can see the paradox and not a solution to it. Except I suppose that at my level of control I am saving them a fortune.
I am prone to ingrowing toenails. It's due to the shape of my feet. I was told by a podiatrist( who was treating my husband at the time) that I should have the nail surgery , whilst my feet are in a good enough state to heal properly. I'm not having the surgery. I've learned how to clip the side of the nail that grows wrong and remove the developing spur.
My feet have just scored 10/10 on the circulation and nerve transmission tests.!
Because my BG is usually at non-diabetic level, I need strips, to keep there, but they won't supply them, because my control is Excellent.
I get caught at every point. My low carb regime means I cannot have any modern medicine. I'm not sufficiently over weight to get anything either.
I'm on my own and left that way, I'm doing well.
Perhaps I should be glad "Those who know better than I about diabetes", leave me alone. I only need to go see them if I want an HbA1c. I'm apparenly only entitled to 1 per year, along with my retina test.
If all the 14.000 diabetics cared for by my PCT were like me they'd be able to afford to treat more smokers, drinkers, drug users etc.However fewer than half those diabetics can hit HbA1c~7.5%