Cheapest test strips & lancets?

[RoseTwy]

Hi, I've recently been advised by my GP that the leatest research has shown it's not effective for Type 2 diabetics who are diet controlled to be given prescriptions - which I've had for the last 5 years!

I've found testing to work for me & am keen to continue to manage my diabetes as before.

My question is, has anyone researched which strips & lancets are the cheapest to buy please? I think it'll be cheaper to buy a new monitor which supports the cheapest ones in the long run.

Thanks, Rose

 

[HLW]

I can't answer your question as I get mine on prescription, I just wanted to point out that you can use any lancet device with any meter, so you might find the strips are cheapest for one meter but lancets for another meter are cheaper, you can use both together.

 

[louiseb]

check out glucorx google it you can buy direct from this company.
meter is £4.90
50 strips is £11.94

 

[Hobs]

Don't forget to pay even less and claim your purchase as VAT exempt because you have diabetes.

 

[copepod]

Many people don't change their lancets each time. Mine last for months, and I don't pay for them, but prefer to save resources, both NHS money and environmental costs of production and disposal.

 

[ewan]

Louiseb, due to your post i have now ordered that meter, strips half the price, so if it all works fine my GP might even thank me and i can afford stand bys

thank you

 

[iHs]

Another bg meter to look at is On- Call Now teststrips are about £8 for 50 (SureScreen Diagnostics)

 

[louiseb]

Louiseb, due to your post i have now ordered that meter, strips half the price, so if it all works fine my GP might even thank me and i can afford stand bys

thank you

please let me know what these are like is the strips and meter accurate if they are im going to buy one of these meters as im type 2 my gp only allows me 2 strips per week :shock:
and I use aviva strips which cost £25 for 50 from boots so its expensive.

 

[ewan]

will do of course, hopefully they are in the post to me

 

[perrywinkle]

Hi Rose, Ive been told the same by my GP although I feel my BS are running high especially at night and think the only way to prove it is to test myself and record the times and the readings.
Im diet only too at the moment and been told I have to keep losing weight and this will have the desired effect. I have lost over a stone since October last year, so the diet is working but I still feel unwell and concerned about the damage that the high sugar is causing body. I am having sweats at night, up and down to loo, and itching like mad, all signs I am told that the sugar is high.

 

[bowell]

For your info i sent a email off to Glucorx customer services asking what to do for Zero vat
If you send by post the vat form from customs and excise
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/downloads/guides/VAT_exemption_declaration_for_diabetes.pdf
Then order
All your meter and test strips to you will have no vat attached

Meter is 4.99 inc vat so you would save £1.05
drum 25x2 strips £11.49 inc vat would save £2.22

for the odd accountant out there saying thats not 20% you also save the vat on the shipping :wink:

I have nothing to do with this firm
Only pointing out the saving to all ,that have to pay for your own strips
(may help to drive other suppliers prices down)
if link is removed by a higher power google glucorx

www.glucorx.co.uk

You will be able to obtain the GlucoRx meter with the VAT exemption by filling in the VAT exemption form from the Inland Revenue VAT Site.
Once we have received the completed form, Vat exemption can apply.

Kind Regards

NXXX NaXXXXXX
Glxxxxxxx

 

[ewan]

My glucorx arrived, out of 4 tests it was 1.0 different from my ultra and on 1 occassion it was 0.1 out. i have read on the forum that its not accurate enough, my semi testing would indicate this

DAM!!!!!!!

 

[cugila]

You may have seen a few who have complained about meter accuracy.

Have you also read in many posts about meter accuracy that they are NOT precision instruments and are only a guide. I wouldn't expect any 'cheapo' meter to be very accurate anyway.
You get what you pay for.

Get the best meter you can whether free or paid for and always only test with ONE meter, ONE test or you will end up paranoid about different readings.

There are at present two threads here on the Forum where meter accuracy is being questioned. Sometimes what we WANT and what we GET are very different things. Hospitals use the same meters as most of us have to. They use them as a guide in Clinical situations.......not for 100% accuracy. For the purposes we use them they are fine.

 

[ewan]

cugila, yes, my thoughts exactly, shame i was hoping for cheaper strips, thanks to this forum i'm being sent an updated one touch for free.

But the glucorx strips are a delight to use, need very little blood

 

[the_anticarb]

Re meter accuracy I think they are 'allowed' to be 10% out so for example if your blood sugar is really 9 you could get a reading of 9.9 and then immediately followed by a reading of 8.1 and both these are considered 'accurate' even though there is nearly a 20% difference between the two readings. Personally I think that's too much margin for error and it makes it a bit hazardous for correction dosing but I suppose until there are more stringent standards that's what we all have to live with.