Why can't t2 get a meters n test strips?

ed209

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi there why can't T1 n T2s be all treated the same n give everyone get meters it is our health after all
 
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julifriend

Well-Known Member
Messages
373
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Put simply, it's down to cost. The NHS believes, and probably with good reason, that most T2s don't have the commitment required to take control of their diabetes and therefore see providing them with meters and test strips as being a waste of money. And if those diabetics were to follow the standard NHS recommended diet then the BG numbers they'd get would no doubt be dispiriting.

For most on this forum they're clearly wrong, but then the members of this forum represent a minority of those who have diabetes.
 
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moonchip

Well-Known Member
Messages
218
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Sadly, if you're T2 and you want to test regularly, its something we must generally fund ourselves

Seeing as we get our meds for free (instead of the £ 8.10 prescription charge per item, with an exemption card) I think in some ways that a bit of financial commitment from ourselves is good

Most T2's won't test -- they'll just take what they're told & given and get on with it -- whether its right, wrong or outdated

A bit of financial commitment from those of us who are interested will likely mean that we'll not only spend our money wisely but more importantly learn what it means & how everything interacts, learn to interpret how our bodies react to different things and ultimately make us more pro-active at managing our own condition

I think its very much an 'investment in ones-self' and money far better spent that a gym membership or similar

It just means that there are some things that you may have to cut out from your expenditure to fund it - but hey, thats life :)
 
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frankman

Well-Known Member
Messages
46
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Friends, I'm grateful that through the Welsh NHS, I get my medications free, all 11 different types, to help with my type2 and heart disease.

I'm not too concerned about purchasing my own lancets, but currently I can still get test strips!? As for myself, I do care how my diabetes life is going, I don't wish to ignore it.

In my opinion, I feel that attempting, and I repeat attempting to reduce the amount of processed foods as I can, is 1 particular way of helping myself to manage to eat as healthily as possible. My weakness is biscuits, crisps and chocolate. I try to ignore them, but my willpower fails on occasion!

Frank.
 
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rahul991

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
hate eating food with better taste.
Regular testing is somewhat enough for its remedies then why should we hire meters n strips and all that???
 
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Lexa_x

Well-Known Member
Messages
194
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Probably becuase they dont want folk proving that their recommended diet is wrong. Then when you mention to the DN that you bought a metre she can have an uncalled for rant.

Seriously tho, my guess is cost.
 
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smidge

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,761
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi there why can't T1 n T2s be all treated the same n give everyone get meters it is our health after all

The reason for non insulin-dependent Type 2s not getting strips is partly cost, but partly because the NHS position on Type 2 testing is that it is not of benefit to their health because they can't do anything about a point in time level anyway. They fail to understand that Type 2s can adjust their diets based on their meters so that although they can't do anything about the immediate reading, they can adjust the portion or avoid the food that caused a high point in time reading and thereby learn how to manage their levels longer term.

The reason Type 1s and non insulin-dependent Type 2s are not treated the same is that the risks are very different; Type 1s need to test before eating in order to calculate how much insulin to take - they also need to test whenever they feel their BG dropping too low in order to identify and treat hypos - failure to do this can be potentially life-threatening.

Smidge
 
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Patricia21

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,764
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Animal crualty
I dont pay for perscriptions due to my age.
I have got my HbA1c down from 58 last June to 45 in October.
With advice from our forum I got a meter myself and cut carbs and in the long run I have saved the NHS money.
I would have been on more medication by now but for the forum.
They dont understand that.
 
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moonchip

Well-Known Member
Messages
218
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I dont pay for perscriptions due to my age.
I have got my HbA1c down from 58 last June to 45 in October.
With advice from our forum I got a meter myself and cut carbs and in the long run I have saved the NHS money.
I would have been on more medication by now but for the forum.
They dont understand that.


Sadly @Patricia21 , no they don't

Its not right and its not fair, especially as the overstretched government purse seems to wish to spend large published funds on gender reassignment operations (lifestyle choices) and immigration (don't get me started on that one)

But it is what it is

I for one, like yourself and many on here, are happy to invest in myself as per my previous post :)
 

Eurobuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
356
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Sadly @Patricia21 , no they don't

Its not right and its not fair, especially as the overstretched government purse seems to wish to spend large published funds on gender reassignment operations (lifestyle choices) and immigration (don't get me started on that one)

But it is what it is

I for one, like yourself and many on here, are happy to invest in myself as per my previous post :)

I also read (may have been on the diabetes web site) that the Government has sent money to third world countries so they can get test strips!
 

frankman

Well-Known Member
Messages
46
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello friends, went to my diabetic Nurse on Tuesday, to give blood for my latest check-up. Told the nurse about my conversation with the GP, regarding lancets and test strips. For some reason, the GP won't issue me with repeats for lancets - but phoning up the surgery for repeat on test strips, I've got them no problem, ok.

The nurse explained the cost issue involved. For my current meter, Freestyle Freedom Lite, test strips for 50, cost £15. So the nurse offers me a different meter, an AgaMatrix Jazz ( I suppose it also does roast dinners! :D ), the lancets for this meter for 50 cost £7. Right, I understand all that. It's a shame, if other parts of the NHS would think like this, trying to cut costs, where-ever they can. I don't know the cost of the meter, though, I've always had them free, but I'm sure they're not cheap.

Frank.
 
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CollieBoy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,974
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Hi carb Foods
Hello friends, went to my diabetic Nurse on Tuesday, to give blood for my latest check-up. Told the nurse about my conversation with the GP, regarding lancets and test strips. For some reason, the GP won't issue me with repeats for lancets - but phoning up the surgery for repeat on test strips, I've got them no problem, ok.

The nurse explained the cost issue involved. For my current meter, Freestyle Freedom Lite, test strips for 50, cost £15. So the nurse offers me a different meter, an AgaMatrix Jazz ( I suppose it also does roast dinners! :D ), the lancets for this meter for 50 cost £7. Right, I understand all that. It's a shame, if other parts of the NHS would think like this, trying to cut costs, where-ever they can. I don't know the cost of the meter, though, I've always had them free, but I'm sure they're not cheap.

Frank.
Well in the UK, they are FREE, at least, the strip companies give them out free!
 
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gillyhill

Well-Known Member
Messages
172
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Lying on a beach all day, arrogant/rude/superficial people, not being able to get necessary help from health professionals
I went to see doctor today. Normally I go once a month to be weighed as on diet. But doctor wanted to see me. :-( I told her I'd spoken to diabetes specialist about T2's getting testing strips. Once I told her he said I should get them as it was my right she gave me a prescription. Only for 50 strips but an achievement. She also sent me to nurse for new Glucomen testing kit
 
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seanj67

Well-Known Member
Messages
283
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I've never had a problem getting my strips on prescription. I've been getting them for years. They also offered me a free meter - I had already got my own so left if for someone else.

The last 2 meter upgrades I have had have been free from the manufacturers just by filling in the online form. My understanding is that they are happy to give the meters away because you generally then need to buy the consumables.
 
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littleweedz

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was told by DSN that T2s don't need to test.
She didn't tell me how I was supposed to know what affected my BG without testing.
Needless to say test strips, lancets and monitors are not available to me on NHS as it's deemed unnecessary.
Wasn't sure there was a way round it, so bought my own.
It seems odd that some areas provide for T2s and some don't.
 
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stephiesut

Well-Known Member
Messages
61
Some do some don't, it can be a bit of a postcode lottery.
Most type 2's who get them on prescription do so because they are on tablets that are more likely to cause hypos, and are generally only prescribed enough to test occasionally. So enough to test if you feel low. Most type 2's don't need to test regularly for strictly medical reasons, but do so to regulate their diets, which is fine but not something the NHS want to be funding. Type 2's on insulin need to test regularly to adapt their insulin doses and again because the risk of hypo is much higher.
I got a meter and strips when I was put on gliclazide, though I was only technically allowed 50 strips every 6 months. In reality they gave me that a month. Now I'm on insulin I get as many as I ask for. As for meters, they will give those for free as the surgeries don't have to pay for them anyway. That's what's DSN told me when I broke my last one and told her I was going to buy another one! She told me never to buy one as they will just keep replacing them for me.
 

Pink_Minx

Well-Known Member
Messages
350
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi - I'm newly diagnosed and my Diabetic Nurse asked me if I wanted a meter when I went for my initial appointment. She warned that the strips weren't available on the NHS, but when I filled the prescription, the chemist didn't ask for money. I was prepared to pay, but it seems maybe that I was lucky? Let's see the next time I have to top up!

I'm using it to work out how foods affect me, so I know what I can do for the best and save the NHS money in the long-term. My goal is to be Metformin-free...
 
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TheFish

Member
Messages
23
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm T2 and my wife is T1 (pump) we both have meters, mine I bought myself but as my control went south lol I now have to test 4 times a day if I can't get my sugars under control then it's onto insulin , I now get my sticks free
 

MyM

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Newly diagnosed T2, I also got given a meter and strips on prescription when I initially saw the diabetic nurse, after having bought a meter for myself!. She did advise it would only cover the specific model they supply, they wouldn't just supply strips for any meter.
Both the doctor and nurse said it made sense to test myself to see how foods affected my blood sugar levels, just not to get too obsessive testing.
 
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Eurobuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
356
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
A few people here seem to have DN's with common sense, I initially got a meter and 10 test strips and when I asked got more I was told that she didn't have the authority to write prescriptions and that the doctors won't prescribe them for type 2's, particularly diet controlled type 2's. My mother at the same practice is type 2 on Gliclazide, gets her strips every month on prescription. I just accepted what I was told. The other day I had an appointment with the doctor about something else and I asked him about getting test strips on prescription, I said that I'd heard that people were saying "don't drive unless it's 5" but how would I know if I was or wasn't doing this. He's now put the strips on my repeat prescription. Maybe it's the doctors we need to be asking and not the nurses? Also k work with 2 people who are diabetic type 2. One of them has asked his DN and was told he didn't need them as he was on tablets to control it, the other person gets the strips automatically and had never had to ask for them, although he is registered with a doctor in Warwickshire so I don't know if that's making a difference.
 
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