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Australian Type 2's not on insulin losing test strips

Indy51

Expert
Messages
5,540
Location
Perth, Western Oz
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I've only just ran across this information, though apparently it was announced back in June.

It appears we are going to get the same sort of treatment that the British have been receiving

From July 1, 2016 Type 2's not taking insulin will receive restricted access to test strips, though the extent of the restrictions has not been announced. Also the price of some diabetes drugs will be increased.

The article from Diabetes Australia can be found here: https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/news/14750?type=articles

The article contains a link if you want to write an email to the Health Minister protesting the changes.
 

This is such a huge issue for we diabetics using food/and activity as treatment, with the all-important BG meter indeed. I am thinking, if we ever want evidence that the pharmaceutical industry has a hand in this - this does? Especially with a diabetes drug hike at the same time? (I guess the companies producing insulin and metformin top the meter-and-test-strip manufacturers? At least in terms of lobbyists? There can be no healthcare justification for this - surely. The numbers don't add up. The health outcomes for tight control are too positive! And we must save HEAPS longterm! I mean exactly how expensive is a seeing eye dog or an amputation? A wheel chair?) It's all so disgusting when it's not about supporting diabetics, but the companies. Well at least it seems from our perspective. Or, it is that old problem humans have balancing short-term with long-term goals? Or a mix of the two? Those test strips cost a bomb indeed, and when on a tight budget - keeping tight BG control is really stressful when you are sitting there counting up the strips carefully to see how long they can last or could take a/fasting/food experiment - I've been there for sure. And will be back again shortly.

I'm always sensitive to this issue, but particularly now as I am leaving Sweden where I get a plentiful supply of test strips, no questions asked, lots of support from a diabetes nurse, and with a more advanced BG meter (less painful to use, quite simply). So next week, back in NZ, I will be going to great lengths to be a 'selected individual' in order to get low-cost prescriptions 50 at a time. Groan! (And it is thanks to CatLadyNZ who directed me to NZ's primary care manual and to a wee sentence that allows me to tell my GP on what criteria she can continue to prescribe them to me. I'm usually not good at being bossed - but that time I was suitably grateful!)

That Australia is test-strip-on-prescription/subsidised caving too, right when diabetes numbers are ballooning - this is very very relevant to all of us for sure.

I am very fired up after watching the 'Low Carb Down Under' site you introduced, and most delighted to see Zinn and Schofield doing the LCHF revolutionary thing in your neighbouring-NZ, and have myself lined up to go to a LCHF 'state of the nation' session as soon as I get back on home-country soil, basically. (Thinking about the relationship between nutrition and diabetes that I know I don't need to make clear to you I know Indy!)

But I was most impressed with Tim Noakes talking about how many pharma companies would go under if diabetics took to low-carb diabetes treatment in droves. Really drove the point home to me! (Maths is not my thing - but six companies! He particularly mentioned Nova Nordisk I think - a company I had heard of thanks to my little BG notation book sponsored by that company and handed to me by my DN - with all its redundant to me pages on insulin dispensing. Hmmm.)

Let's hope we fired up diabetics can make inroads into such policies that directly affect our health via our pocketbooks in our respective subsidised-test-strip-backpeddaling countries!
 
The good minister will be receiving an email from yours truly ... and it will be VERY direct ... make that savage.
 
Thanks for that. I will be waiting as well though it does not effect me. But I strongly believe in those that do want to test
 
Have just read the changes. Does this mean after six months we don't get any subsidized strips at all? How are we supposed to manage our levels and keep our numbers down which really saves the Govt. money in the long term by us not having complications and needing so many drugs.
 
Seems like it depends on whether you can convince your GP you need to keep testing:

"After six months, people with type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin can access subsidised test strips if their doctor or an authorised health professional wants them to continue testing. This change follows the independent advice of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee."
 
Yeh I saw that too @Indy51 .... also the other change I didn't like is that you can no longer order products direct from NDSS. So we will be relying on pharmacies. I know the one I go to often runs out of stock for various things, including my meds. I even had an incident once where the supplier to Perth ran out of apidra insulin. I had to go to another pharmacy where they had one lot left which they split between myself and another man (poor man it was his script too, he just hadn't picked it up).

But yes, I don't agree with limiting test strip supplies after 6 months. I have a feeling there will be docs who will tell patients there is no need to test. What is the criteria they will use? It's not listed anywhere and I did ask that question to NDSS I think it was. This particular change won't affect me though as I'm on insulin. Although I do empathise because I previously was not on insulin. I would've hated the idea that I can't test.
 
I spoke to the chemist yesterday and apparently part of the problem with the test strips being limited has been caused by people Chemist shopping and stripping the shelves at each Chemist of subsidized NDSS strips as there are no limits at the moment and then sending bulk lots home to Asia. Don't know if they are selling them or getting them for relatives but the taxpayer gets caught subsidizing them either way. We just have to hope we don't run into any problems with our Doctors. Don't know if the other States have had the same problems but the same thing has happened here with shelves getting stripped of Baby formula and being sent to China leaving nothing on the shelves for the locals.
 
I'm still amazed that they don't issue strips for type 2's in the UK but to hear it's spreading is even worse. At least for now, here in Canada I have access to strips that my private insurance pays for. When I told my Doctor my script said zero refills for strips he was shocked. He thought that once the script was written it was for a years worth. I told him I test 2 to 4 time a day depending on the meal I'm eating and if it's a new food or a well known one. Then he saw my test results from my first three months and went from a 7.4 to a 5.5 a1c. So he wrote me another script for 100 refills (it expires in a year but that's fine). Said if that keeps me going on my diet then that's what it takes.

Sorry to hear you are having so many problems with your health care. It's only a matter of time before Canada and possibly the US go the same way.
 
and on top of the NDSS changes there is apparently a metformin shortage here at the moment... apparently they've run out of 1000mg dosage tabs and only have 500mg which is also getting hard to get. So supply problems are as issue for type 2's at the moment all round. Although it doesn't affect me I can relate because I have medication supply problems. Somehow I think supply of meds is getting worse here. I'm not sure who is at fault? But it's not funny when you go to the pharmacy and they say oh your drug is out of stock and we're not expecting it to come back in until July (that was in April). So meanwhile it leaves docs trying to think of an alternative med. But for me that particular drug they told me about (not a diabetic drug) triggers migraines if I skip even one dose. So you can imagine how annoyed I was. I hope things start improving.
 
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