No Insulin in A&E ???

[andy75006]

Got back Sunday afternoon after weekend away in Manchester with the wife , unfortunetly we had a problem when I left (accidently) my bag with my meter, pens the whole lot in a taxi , as we had just jumped in the taxi in town we have no idea what firm it was from so no way of tracing it .
I was only diagnosed 15months ago so its still a lot to get used to , I wanted just to leave it and sort it when we got home but wife and friends insisted I go to A&E to get some more supplies . I was seen very quickly only to be told that the hospital does n't carry supplies of insulin in A&E . They got me a prescription to take to a chemist (mad dash to get to late night chemist costing us £50 :evil: )
At no time were my blood levels taken and although prescribed the chemist refused to give me a new meter , I was given 1 Lantus pen and 1 humalog pen although i thought they were only prescribed in boxes of 5 :?: .
Is the the norm ? has anyone else had experience of this ?
I'm really angry at myself as I had recently treated myself to a lovely leather carry case that held all my supplies that is now gone .
Do I now have to buy another meter myself or do you think my diabetic nurse should give me another free as that is the type that my strips are prescribed for ?

Please don't shout at me lol , believe me my Mrs has gone above and beyond in doing that .

 

[noblehead]

Andy,

Your diabetes nurse should be able to provide you with a free meter, the rest of your supplies will need to be ordered on prescription from your gp, ring them up and explain the urgency and they will no doubt have these items available to collect.

I've only ever once gone to A & E when I dropped my last insulin vial on the kitchen floor (old days of vials and syringes) and they sent me up to a ward and they give some to tide me over till I seen my gp.

Hopefully you'll get sorted soon and sorry to read about your unfortunate end to a pleasant weekend away.

Nigel

 

[hanadr]

Andy
I should contact all the local taxi firms and the police. Your stuff may well have been handeed in.
Hana

 

[sugar2]

Not surprised at all I am afraid. At least they gave you a prescription...£50 though !!

Yes, tehy can prescribe 1 vial...I am on teh pump, and get prescribed one vial a year of injectable stuff, just in case.

The meter, phone the manufacturer...I know in teh past when I have broken my meter, if I give them a call, and they realise what a good "customer" I am, they send me a free meter. this is actually far easier that changing my prescription to any new test strip and lancets etc.

Certainly not going to shout...have done somethin similar myself. I now give my hubby a spare mini set of supplies if we are travelling. :mrgreen:

 

[viv1969]

I don't think anyone should be expected to supply a new meter for free, however, you might drop lucky in that they will.

I too would do a ring-around of cab firms in the vague hope of success. Can't hurt.

 

[noblehead]

I don't think anyone should be expected to supply a new meter for free, however, you might drop lucky in that they will.

Well that may be true Viv but believe me they do. My local clinic has a cupboard full of various bg meters given free by the meter reps, you see they are all to willing to give them away so that patients who receive them will have to purchase the test strips. The profit and return is never made in the meters themselves, but the extortionate cost of the meter test strips.

Nigel

 

[Debloubed]

I don't think anyone should be expected to supply a new meter for free, however, you might drop lucky in that they will.

Well that may be true Viv but believe me they do. My local clinic has a cupboard full of various bg meters given free by the meter reps, you see they are all to willing to give them away so that patients who receive them will have to purchase the test strips. The profit and return is never made in the meters themselves, but the extortionate cost of the meter test strips.

Nigel

Been pondering this one. As a type 1, I actually do 'expect' my meter to be provided for free, via my diabetes clinic?! Perhaps this is a tad rude of me ( :twisted: ) but really, we all make mistakes and drop and break stuff, so as a regular tax paying citizen of the UK, I want a free one please! See, I did say please :wink:

To the OP, we've all done it! No shouting from me, just a trip down memory lane :wink:

 

[phoenix]

Well just to show that things aren't always as bad in the UK, Check out the price of meters on the other side of the channel. Anyone want to pay 143E for an Optimum Exceed.
twenga.fr/dir-Beaute-Sante,Appareil-d-examen,Lecteur-de-glycemie
(the cheaper ones are all produits d'occasion ie secondhand)
The situation on strips is exactly the same but they don't sell them at a loss here. I do get one on prescription every 4 years.

 

[daisy1]

In Switzerland its different from France. I got a choice of free meters at my doctor's surgery. I haven't had to ask for another one yet but I think I'd get one. Maybe not the most advanced ones though. I got a Bayer Contour in April 2009. I get 400 strips (I'm a type 2) a year on prescription. But to buy them is expensive - £69 for 100 from a pharmacy. I haven't needed to buy any anyway yet.

One strip every 4 years, Phoenix? :lol:

 

[phoenix]

One strip every 4 years, Phoenix? :lol:

Whoops, one meter! though they tried to ammend the law to cut the strips down to 1 a day a couple of months ago. Lots of French style protest in the press forced a quick change of heart (though I suspect that they will cut back prescriptions for T2s considerably)

 

[stabatha]

Hi andy, why did yu have to pay for your prescription? or was it the taxi ? being a type 1 diabetic you are entitled to free prescriptions , also your diabetic nurse can supply you with a free meter .

 

[hellobear]

A few months ago every single one of my Optiset pens were faulty. I went through a box of 5 and none of them worked. As I dont take my long acting insulin til very late (usually gone midnight) the only option was A&E.

I was surprised when they told me they didnt have any insulin available. In the end one of the nurses went up to a ward to get me a Solostar pen so I could take my nightly dose. My blood had gone up to 22 by that point.

Was so angry with the makers of the pens. I wrote them a letter explaining what had happened, even sent the faulty pens to them but never had a reply. Cost me a fortune to get a cab to and from casualty. Now im sticking with the Solostar pens, they seem much more reliable.

I just think we are so lucky to have our NHS. I have a friend over in Indiana who was recently made unemployed. She then found out she was diabetic and after a short stay in hospital (which she had to pay for!) she then had to fork out for all her meds and equipment. Now, with no med insurance and not being able to claim Medicaid it is a constant battle to try and get any insulin. There are people dying on the streets of America because they cannot afford there medication and hospital treatment. If I hadnt of said the name of the country, you could easily have assumed I was talking about a third world, very poor country. But this is America, one of the richest countries in the world, and they play with peoples lives every day.

Give me a 3 hour wait in casualty any time over that!

 

[viv1969]

I don't think anyone should be expected to supply a new meter for free, however, you might drop lucky in that they will.

Well that may be true Viv but believe me they do. My local clinic has a cupboard full of various bg meters given free by the meter reps, you see they are all to willing to give them away so that patients who receive them will have to purchase the test strips. The profit and return is never made in the meters themselves, but the extortionate cost of the meter test strips.

Nigel

Been pondering this one. As a type 1, I actually do 'expect' my meter to be provided for free, via my diabetes clinic?! Perhaps this is a tad rude of me ( :twisted: ) but really, we all make mistakes and drop and break stuff, so as a regular tax paying citizen of the UK, I want a free one please! See, I did say please :wink:
To the OP, we've all done it! No shouting from me, just a trip down memory lane :wink:

Just about says it all I suppose.

 

[HLW]

All my medical treatment is free, why would a blood test meter be any different ?

 

[Hazza]

I have about 5 different meters from various companies that were all supplied free, (just visit their web sites). These are for my daughter who is type 1. When the meter arrives there is a card in the box to take to your GP for the test strips on prescription. As has been said this is where they make their money. I would never dream of only having one meter as you never know when it will break down or get lost.

Just a thought but would'nt it be a good idea to include a name and telephone number inside your bag in case it was lost. Not having a go as I have left stuff behind before now and couldn't remember where I last had it, but at least this way you may get it back.
Good luck

Harry

 

[RoseRodent]

Yes a type 1 should "expect" their meters free in the UK because that is the agreement that the NHS has with the manufacturers in return for carrying their strips on NHS prescriptions. The NHS paperwork on the subject says that manufactuers are required to provide meters free of charge to patients with a need for them. That is the way that the NHS has balanced provision of meters, instead of prescribing the physical meter they have an agreement with manufacturers that the meters are required to be given away, it's not goodwill, it's a requirement.

It doesn't apply to the top choice of the fanciest meter, they just have to provide you with "a meter" but the information is totally clear, they are required to provide free meters to anyone the NHS identifies to them as needing one.

 

[leather_ferret]

Hi One of my meters went loopy a few weeks ago and, unknown to me, was reading consistently high by about 7 or 8 units. I couldn't understand why I couldn't get my readings down and ended up with the mother of all hypos ... I was shovelling glucose down my neck when the penny dropped and I dug a working spare out of the drawer ... 1.5 and sinking like a stone .... Not amused !!
I was very nearly 'over and out' & the Mrs was standing ready with the glucagon panic syringe kit :? and seemed quite disappointed when I began to rally round :lol: :lol:

Upshot was the SDN at the clinic tested mine against another one there, gave me a brand new meter from an overflowing cupboard and launched the old one at the waste bin. I offered to send it to the manufacturers and get a new replacement for the clinic - she said not to bother as the reps were falling overthemselves to give away meters.

Bit disconcerting that some (all?) A&E dep'ts dont have insulin ... that is just plain daft !
If you break a leg, they don't give you a prescription for morphine and say "hop along to the all night pharmacy" ... at least, I hope they don't :lol:

be good and be lucky

Dave

 

[pavmas]

Im the same as Hazza.

I just contact the manufacturer and they send one out, in fact I got 2 from the last manufacturer in case 1 broke and I was left without.
As hazza said they make the cash from the strips.

 

[RoseRodent]

If you break a leg, they don't give you a prescription for morphine and say "hop along to the all night pharmacy" ... at least, I hope they don't :lol:

I was once a hospital inpatient and they prescribed me something then came back to say they were out of stock in the hospital pharmacy so I couldn't have any! They "couldn't" write me the type of prescription that my husband could take to an outside pharmacy because I was an inpatient. They wouldn't write me an alternative script for something they DID have because I'd already had the prescription, never mind that I never got any medication. :shock: Apparently I could have taken an overdose if I'd had the paper prescription for some non-existent medication and then backed it up with real tablets. Then the shift changed and the nurses tried to tell me I had already had my pain relief, look, there they are in your notes, you must be confused as a side-effect of what you didn't have, you can't be in pain, go to sleep.

Watch out on holiday too, if you break your leg in many EU countries they ask you to go down to the pharmacy and buy your own crutches, they don't even sell them on the hospital/clinic premises so they plaster up your foot at midnight and say right, go home, don't put any weight on your foot even to go to the bathroom, but the pharmacy doesn't open till 10am tomorrow. See you.