Just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and am having serious problems with getting my blood/glucose test straps from my gp. I'm using 4 a day and im only prescribed 50 at a time so there not lasting long...any advice?
Any advice
- Thread starter Dazza70
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TorqPenderloin
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- Type of diabetes
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How about instead of making demands and/or shoving papers in their face you have a discussion with them and ask for the reasoning why they're only giving you 50 test strips? Crazy thought, maybe there's a specific reason why they're only giving you that many.
When I was first diagnosed, I was given one Levemir pen, 50 test strips, and told to schedule a follow-up appointment the next week. During that time, my doctor was analyzing my c-peptide and GAD antibody tests to confirm the correct diagnosis.
Long story short, the following week I was prescribed bolus insulin, 250 test strips a month, and a Dexcom CGM (I'm in the USA).
Point being: have a conversation with your doctor to explain your concerns. If they're still giving you a hard time about it and won't give you a solid explanation THEN you can resort to the methods other people mentioned.
When I was first diagnosed, I was given one Levemir pen, 50 test strips, and told to schedule a follow-up appointment the next week. During that time, my doctor was analyzing my c-peptide and GAD antibody tests to confirm the correct diagnosis.
Long story short, the following week I was prescribed bolus insulin, 250 test strips a month, and a Dexcom CGM (I'm in the USA).
Point being: have a conversation with your doctor to explain your concerns. If they're still giving you a hard time about it and won't give you a solid explanation THEN you can resort to the methods other people mentioned.
TorqPenderloin
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Fair enough.
I'm not saying your advice was wrong, but there are other steps I would (personally) take to make sure I understood the situation before making requests. Perhaps the OP has already had that conversation with his or her doctor, but it would be important to get a better understanding of the situation all around.
catapillar
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- Type of diabetes
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If you've been diagnosed type1 and you're in the uk be aware that nice guidelines provide for type 1 diabetics to be supported to test 4-10 times a day, or more if necessary:- https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/chapter/1-Recommendations#blood-glucose-management-2 (NG 17 1.6.11-12)
Discussions with your GP might include why the guidelines are not being complied with.
I mean you could be prescribe 50 strips on repeat. But this would require requesting a repeat prexcri to be filled more than weekly. Seems like an unnecessary admin burden for both patient and GP that could easily and sensibly be avoided by having a chat with your GP to get a script for 200-300 test strips, on repeat.
Discussions with your GP might include why the guidelines are not being complied with.
I mean you could be prescribe 50 strips on repeat. But this would require requesting a repeat prexcri to be filled more than weekly. Seems like an unnecessary admin burden for both patient and GP that could easily and sensibly be avoided by having a chat with your GP to get a script for 200-300 test strips, on repeat.
