Refused BG testing strips.

[TallGiraffe]

I'm having similar issues where my prescription length is too long and if I waited until it ran out I'd have no strips, needles, lancets etc for days even a week at times. I have to order online sometimes just single items so I'm often at the pharmacy twice a weeks. Worst thing is they keep messing up my prescriptions and ordering things I don't need just because I haven't ordered them for a while. For example last week I ordered a new glucagon set, novorapid, a sharps box and needles. When I went to the pharmacy they said the prescription was made for glucose gels, sharps box and glargine. I had waited 4 days for this arrive and was running low. Called the doctors who then did it again 4 hours later but it was still wrong and half wasn't electronically sent over and I had to go to the doctors to get the paper prescription. They didn't give me needles so I orders again and they lost it so I ended up with just one needle left pleading down the phone to the receptionist to get doctor to sort it. I was told it would be later that evening before it was ready so I said it was unacceptable and that as I am pregnant they were endangering my baby. They had it ready in 20 minutes after that.

I've booked an appointment to discuss with the doctor. The pharmacist has been great and even once just gave me strips as the doctors said my prescription was locked in the system and wouldn't be resolved that day. I was out of strips so she just gave me them assuming that at some point the prescription would appear. Good job they know me as a very regular customer.

Wow that really is ridiculous, my partner has had the same trouble with them repeatedly giving him the wrong testing strips too!! Hope your pregnancy is going well!!

 

[TallGiraffe]

Pharmacists are able to provide an 'emergency supply' of any normally-prescribed item to a patient if there is a problem with a prescription. This is usually enough for 2 or 3 days. I have only needed this service twice in 53 years (!) but as my dad was a pharmacist, for the first 20 years he handled everything and I never ran short of any item.

I seriously think that you need to switch your GP. Ask around and see which surgery friends and neighbours use. If you know someone local with a long-standing health condition, ask which surgery they use and how efficient they are. Best of luck with that appointment. If you aren't satisfied with what you are told, vote with your feet.

Cheers, I will be! And I will be putting in a strong complaint when I pluck up the courage haha

 

[TallGiraffe]

Diabetes UK have an "Advocacy Park" about this
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/How_we_...ks/Availability-of-blood-glucose-test-strips/

Ooo thank you!this will be useful!!

 

[JanS]

I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 15 in 1970 (tells you how old I am now). In that time I have had an occasional difficulty with prescription supply. I have been a trained nurse since I was 21 and working in the NHS have been able to control the supply of my equipment.

The best discovery for me was the freestyle libre device which means I no longer have to prick my fingers. After having free prescriptions for my diabetic equipment since 1970 I willingly pay for my sensors but believe this equipment is essential for type 1 diabetics and should be on prescription!

 

[alhubb]

I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 15 in 1970 (tells you how old I am now). In that time I have had an occasional difficulty with prescription supply. I have been a trained nurse since I was 21 and working in the NHS have been able to control the supply of my equipment.

The best discovery for me was the freestyle libre device which means I no longer have to prick my fingers. After having free prescriptions for my diabetic equipment since 1970 I willingly pay for my sensors but believe this equipment is essential for type 1 diabetics and should be on prescription!

That's the problem though, the CGM would be perfect but are not currently available on NHS and both @TallGiraffe and I cant afford to fund a CGM at the moment. It is beyond ridiculous and I will be contacting the practice manager this morning to give her a piece of my mind

 

[Deleted Account]

I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 15 in 1970 (tells you how old I am now). In that time I have had an occasional difficulty with prescription supply. I have been a trained nurse since I was 21 and working in the NHS have been able to control the supply of my equipment.

The best discovery for me was the freestyle libre device which means I no longer have to prick my fingers. After having free prescriptions for my diabetic equipment since 1970 I willingly pay for my sensors but believe this equipment is essential for type 1 diabetics and should be on prescription!

Unfortunately, even if it was available on the NHS, the Libre is not a replacement for finger pricking. The DVLA do not accept it as a record of BG before driving and the advice is to finger prick before calculating your insulin dose. The Libre provides great *additional* support but the days of sore fingers is not over ... even if you can afford a CGM.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Agree the libre is not a replacement for strips.. anybody that drives must still test before driving.
CGM's like the guardian connect still need 2-4 tests a day.

 

[TallGiraffe]

Update - my partner made a complaint, they put a prescription in to collect the same day and they have increased my prescription to 200 strips!!

 

[donnellysdogs]

Update - my partner made a complaint, they put a prescription in to collect the same day and they have increased my prescription to 200 strips!!

Result!!! So pleased for you!!

 

[Flakey Bake]

lot of good advice. A few people have said this already, but I constantly have issues with my GP's surgery. Whenever I run into problems I contact my DSN at the hospital who sends a strongly worded latter to the GP. My last battle was needles, I need to inject between 6 and 10 times a and a couple of boxes gives me little wiggle room each month. After the DSN sent a letter I get TWELVE flaming boxes a month. I have had to build a wall with them. Talk about a knee jerk reaction. Why oh why can they not just prescribe what you reasonably ask for...grrrrrrr

 

[Jordi77]

I use the dearest test strips from Bayer for my meter and I get them okay and I only get them every couple of weeks on prescription as I only do my bg tests before meals and the test strips for 50 costs about £26 each and I get 100 at a time and when I got the meter from the hospital my dsn wrote a letter to tell the gp that I needed the test strips on prescription and when I wanted them and to give me them so I just get them without a problem and I am on insulin for life as a T2 and anything else I have on prescription I get without a problem except once but that was for 1 item and that was ages ago so now I get what I want when I need it

 

[Paul520785]

T1 for almost 60 years so I have a great deal of sympathy for your position.

I have just resolved my restriction of strips but I has taken me nearly 2 years.
During this time I have been too willing to be put off, accept excuses and not be really pushy.
Had I chased every other day for answers and action I think the whole matter could have been resolved in about 2 months.

There are a number of things that you need to do >>>>
1) get a doctors appointment and take a copy of the NICE guidelines with you (T1 test up to 10 times a day)
Explain how often you are comfortable testing then add more for driving (DVLA Legislation)
Do the arithmetic based on a day then multiply by 28
2) The normal NHS repeat prescription period is 28 days - If they try and tell you different get them to
state the position in writing to you.
3) If these first 2 do not get you anywhere then make a formal complaint to the NHS (there is a website and telephone No online)
4) Have a meeting / discussion with a doctor or practice manager (But take an observer/friend/family member with you) AND (insist that that they write to you with the outcome of the meeting so that if necessary that letter can be sent to NHS complaints with your comments)

Then, as happened to me earlier to-day, you will hopefully end up with a Dr or DSN appointment where you get as near to an apology as can be given and comments like "Your consultant has instructed us NOT to hassle you about No's of test strips" and "You have no complications and you have good control / awareness of your Blood Sugar levels so the cost of test strips is negligible when compared to the cost of Diabetic complications"
AND "did you know that the NICE guidelines for BG strip limits have just changed from 10 to 11 per day?"

Hopefully someone can post a link to the NICE BG strip guidelines <<<<<<<<<

On a slightly different tack - I have just changed the type of BG meter I use - I phoned Lifescan and told them I was changing meter and asked for one for the home, one for the car, one to leave on my boat and a spare - after explaining that I was T1 they immediately put them in the post - I unfortunately proved the importance of the spare within a couple of months and a replacement was just as fast. A very pleasant and unexpected supply of help when requested!

 

[bobcurly]

I work in a surgery and last week none of the scripts would go electronically due to an IT issue so that bit may not be their fault but they should know the t1 quantities

 

[delmcp]

Here is an extract from the NICE Guidelines and a link.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/chapter/1-Recommendations#blood-glucose-management-2

 

[TheBigNewt]

sounds cheap. Have a link?

https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/3845/truetrack-blood-glucose-test-strips

 

[aharri4]

I am so angry. Just been to pick up my repeat prescription, of which one of my items should have been 2x boxes of 50 BG testing strips. Get home to find no test strips. Check my online account. Rejected for BG testing strips, with no reason given.

Last prescription was 22nd May, latest order was put in 1st June. That is 10 days between. I have to get new testing strips every 14 days otherwise I run the risk of running out.

I am so angry that a Dr surgery can refuse me access to testing strips. I am not testing my BG for fun.

Does anyone know how I can get any help with this? I have asked them before if I can put my prescription up to 4x 50 strips, but I was told that due to NHS cuts I am not allowed. This means I have to go every two weeks to collect more. I find this an absolute joke.

Any ideas? I know there was things on twitter/email about refused access to testing strips a month or so ago??

Thanks for any help.

 

[ThatterGirl]

Fortunately I have never had test strips denied to me, however I am only get one box of strips per prescrition as I results I have to get a prescription every week, which is rather annoying when you have to drive 2 miles there and back! Might have to enquire about increasing my prescription

 

[aharri4]

I am angry too for you. It's difficult enough balancing everything when it's straight forward. Let alone when barriers are put up which are totally unnecessary. I really hope this gets resolved for you. Certainly, collecting a prescription every 2 weeks is avoidable and they should, as part of good medicine management, have spotted that sooner and organised at least a monthly script. No benefit to them at all having to sign one that often. I'd be pushing to find out why they rejected it without even telling you too.
Best of luck!

I've experienced the same problem. I complained said training for London marathon, had to have enough test strips for training and to be safe. They soon gave me more test strips. Now they want to give me a new meter due to cut backs my current meter accu chek mobile is too expensive but I feel I need to keep my meter its perfect for running. Not making my life easy!!

 

[JayneLou]

I am so angry. Just been to pick up my repeat prescription, of which one of my items should have been 2x boxes of 50 BG testing strips. Get home to find no test strips. Check my online account. Rejected for BG testing strips, with no reason given.

Last prescription was 22nd May, latest order was put in 1st June. That is 10 days between. I have to get new testing strips every 14 days otherwise I run the risk of running out.

I am so angry that a Dr surgery can refuse me access to testing strips. I am not testing my BG for fun.

Does anyone know how I can get any help with this? I have asked them before if I can put my prescription up to 4x 50 strips, but I was told that due to NHS cuts I am not allowed. This means I have to go every two weeks to collect more. I find this an absolute joke.

Any ideas? I know there was things on twitter/email about refused access to testing strips a month or so ago??

Thanks for any help.

 

[Nelson99]

Hi
Interesting how different doctors are. I get 200 at a time, each month. I suggest you get your consultant to write a letter.

Get in touch with your local Clinical Commissioning Group. This quite useless layer of bureaucracy sets the prescription rules for your local GP's. Not all CCG's restrict strips - and to the best of my knowledge ALL insulin users should still be provided with strips!! MAKE A FUSS.