Hi all,
I went to see my surgery today to get my repeat prescription and they informed my they cannot issue my current prescription of bayer contour test strips as they are enforcing a meter change, they gave me a letter (summerized here)
Now, I fall into the first category as I am a type 1 and test between 5-10 times a day depending on eating, exercise and driving etc. I also have around 5-6 Contour meters in various places (bag, car, work, bedroom, spare etc.) and have a repeat prescription of 300 strips.
The initial change to my repeat was to remove the 300 bayer strips and replace it with 50 Omnitest 3 strips!
The nurse I saw gave me one more prescription of bayer test strips (because the new meters were not available yet), and I have to go back in a months time (I cannot make the date of the clinic) to pick up my new meter and change my prescription. Apparently this is a change that has been enforced by the local PCT and isn't a decision made at the surgury. It sounds like a cost cutting measure as apparently the meters are more expensive but the strips are cheaper...
Has anyone else had something similar happen in their area (I live in SE London)?
Does anyone know my rights as a patient here? I am quite happy with my current set up and don't really want to change over! If I were given one meter, what would I do if it were to break or I lost it?
Does anyone have an Omnitest 3 meter - what is it like to use? I quite like the Contour meter because it is very easy to use, the test strips are not to small or large, it is small and doesn't look ugly!
Cheers all,
James
Hi Everybody- THIS IS ALL A BIG CON BY THE DOCTORS SURGERYS ANF EVEN THE CGG's IN YOUR AREA. Exactly the same thing happened to me on receipt of an unsigned letter from the surgery which looks on the face of it that you have no choice but to change to a meter of their choice.
You do not have to let this happen if you don't want.
All you need to do is to write a letter or email to your doctors surgery saying
1. You don't want to change your meter and test strips
2. State that you have a FREEDOM OF CHOICE AS TO WHAT METER AND STRIPS YOU USE UNDER THE NHS AND THAT THEY WOULD BE DENYING THIS FREEDOM OF CHOICE BY MAKING YOU CHANGE TO SOMETHING ELSE. The words " freedom of choice " are important here.
3. That you are exercising this freedom of choice by keeping with your existing meter.
4. Say thanks for their kind offer but no thanks.
5. Ask that they will kindly confirm that you will be able to receive your repeat prescription as normal.
A letter roughly based on the above got an immediate positive response!
What they are hoping for is that 90% odd fall for their original request to change to a different meter.
As a Type 1er of many many years I wasn't going to allow my trusty friend of a meter to be thrown in the bin without a fight and neither I believe should you.
Good luck - hope this helps.