Access to blood glucose testing supplies incl. test strips

The current NICE guidelines concerning self-monitoring of blood glucose for people with type 2 diabetes is available here.

The sections relevant to self-testing can be found on the following pages:

• Page 7 - Key priorities for implementation
• Pages 12 to 13 - Self-monitoring of plasma glucose

Page 7 - Key priorities for implementation

You’ll notice it says “Offer self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education”

This shouldn’t be used as an excuse to not provide blood glucose testing supplies. If your health centre have not offered structured education to you, ask for them to do arrange this and point out that having access to testing supplies is "an integral part of the self-management education".

Pages 12 to 13 - Self-monitoring of plasma glucose

The above guidelines therefore cover everyone on insulin, arguably anyone on tablets for their diabetes and, importantly, anyone who needs to assess changes in glucose control resulting from lifestyle changes.

A change of diet could quite reasonably be deemed a lifestyle change. If you feel you need access to blood testing supplies to support decisions about which foods to include in your diet, then you have grounds to request access to blood testing supplies.

Make your testing count

In theory, you should be assessed annually for your suitability for blood glucose testing supplies.

If you have type 2 diabetes, it is therefore important to make your testing count by writing down your numbers and recording how you are making sense of the results. If you can show you are making use of your results to control your health, you will improve your chances of continuing to have blood glucose testing supplies prescribed for you.

Making a case for having access to home blood glucose testing

Sadly, some doctors may be less willing to offer access to testing supplies to people with type 2 diabetes than others and may come up with reasons for why they won’t prescribe test strips.

A number of great threads have appeared on the forum offering advice to people who have been campaigning to be prescribed blood test strips.

• Test Strips - Complaint Response from the Dept of Health
• Test strips stopped

Note: This post is a modification of Sue/Ken's original post to bring it up to date.