Been Refused Testing Strips

Oh, god, no, that's awful. There's no way 50 can last you a month. Are you under a diabetes clinic, do you have a DSN?

I am just outraged on your behalf. A T1 of only one years diagnosis, on insulin! How do they expect you to gain good control of your condition?
If your doctor does not agree to prescribe strips, and he should because the very fact you want them means that you are trying to control your condition, then you must change your doctor.
In the meantime, if you can't get them free, you must buy them. Keep the receipts, as you may need them to prove that your need is serious.

T1 cannot mange on 50 strips per month. I should think 100 is the minimum. I don't think they are meant to restrict T1s
Hana

When you say 'Part of a Clinic' do you mean a hospital clinic?

Firstly if you completely out or very low in test strips, you can do a couple of things...

If you've got a local A&E or small injury unit near you, pay them a visit explain your situation (no test strips) if you lucky if your meter is the same as they use, they might give you a pot to tie you over from their stock, or one of the doctors might write you a prescription.. If this isn't viable.

Contact your out of hours doctor, and explain the above either they will write a script out for you to collect from their base, or if you'll lucky they fax it straight through to the chemist for you! I

I've never had a problem with using either the above in an emergency (out of test strips, or running very low before I can get a new prescription from my doctor) the only hitch I had, was with out small injury unit, but that was because it was outside office hours, and it's out of hours doc who covers the unit out of hours, and he was out on a call! So advised to go via the main out of hours switch board

If you use the same chemist all the time, it's worth asking if they loan you a tub until your prescription is available!

But going back to your GP...

You do need to speak with your GP, but first check with your surgery who authorised the change to your prescription allocation... As this may have been done by the prescription manager and your GP may not be aware that it's been altered..

If this is the case, then it's likely a word with your GP and s/he will reinstate it.. If this is the case and it becomes a continuing problem, the prescription manager regularly reducing your allocation, then you then need to turn your attention to tackling the prescription manager to lay off..

If it's the case this is being authorised by your GP, then you will have to impress on s/he the importance of when you need to test, if you are on the MDI, then this means at least 5 times a day, you also require a surplus to cover hypo's, and if you drive you are required by the DVLA to test your BG before you get behind the wheel!

If you are under the hospital clinic, then speak to them as either your DSN or consultant will write a letter to your GP to instruct him to prescribe a certain amount etc... (you will find most consultants are more than happy to do this for you, most enjoy rattling the cages of the GP's)

Hopefully you get this sorted without having to fight a battle, but if you need info and/or advice about putting across your side of the argument, then just give a shout..

I live in the south of Scotland. So far I've been given strips on a regular basis, though it's occasionally taken a bit of desk-thumping to get the point across. IMHO any claim by medics that testing is unnecessary amounts to criminal neglect - and I made that point at the very outset to the diabetic nurse (heaven forfend my complaint might ever interest HRH The Doctor.) I've received strips ever since (I'd already been given a free machine by the mfrs) though I don't abuse the service - for me these days 50 a month is quite enough.

But the attitudes of the NHS still surface from time to time. Late last year the nurse took a blood sample for my A1c - she rang a week later to apologise - the sample had been returned untested(!!!!!!) by our local NHS trust who reckoned I'd "had my share" that year!!!! Un-f...ing believable!! I was less annoyed about that than at a nurse who didn't tender her resignation at such a challenge to her professional status. Though she may well have done just that - she's gone now, replaced by a nurse whose disinterest in anything other than the NHS party line is palpable.

In fact thinking about this just today, I realised that previous practice was a 3-month check, though I'd been warned that might become 6 months if I didn't actually die. Which doesn't explain why it's over 9 months since I was last checked. I rang in to be told I "should have phoned up." I'm 68, in very poor health (to the point that diabetes is the least of my worries) and can't understand why - given a 2-billion pound computer system - a patient should have to push for attention. I haven't actually bothered to make another appointment. As long as I keep getting my metfartin and strips free, I don't see the point in consulting with people who patently couldn't care less.

Oddly enough I still reckon I'm in one of the better NHS trust area - at least I get what I need even if it does take banging on desks. A friend of mine with T2 lives a few miles south of the Border, in England. A 45-year-old vegetarian teetoller and non-smoker - 8-stone soaking wet when diagnosed with a condition that he was assured just had to be his own fault. He's been flatly refused strips and told to deal with his condition on the basis of "how he feels." He asked me (as the expert - I wish) how that might work - and I couldn't tell him. I don't know what the HELL it means - I certainly wouldn't care to manage my diabetes on that basis. I gave him my spare machine and periodically post him a can of strips.

These days, the NHS motto is "Mind Over Matter." That is to say - they don't mind and we don't matter.

50 strips for a month!? My DSN said I could have a pot of 50 strips and they should last me a year, so on average once a week testing for me. If it wasn't so serious it would be a joke!

Pickwick

My jaw dropped with your claims 50 tests strips were more than plentiful for you, that's until I got to the end of your post and realised you'll T2, which yes once you've got your initial control sorted, 50 strips a month should be enough to keep an eye on things to ensure no problems brewing with control..

At one stage even for T1 50 test strips were more than plenty to maintain control, but that was in the days of the Carb Exchange regime which was a prescribed amount of carbs and insulin! So a one full day of testing (5 tests in all) and if hypo suspected!

But saying that, the lancets were a lot different than they were today, they were evil and shredded your finger tips, they actually looked like razor blades, flat oblong in shape and one end narrowed into a point :shock: At first there wasn't a gadget for them, you just stabbed your finger (oh and that took courage and often several attempts, due to instinct of pending pain made you move your hand away) when the brought the G-shaped gadget out, a sprung loaded thing, you put it over your finger, the a flicked you hand it would fire it... was even worse..

HCP's didn't have trouble discouraging patients from testing, it was encouraging patients to test one day a week caused problems for them...

When I was pregnant I had to go to testing every day, 5 times a day (and if hypo suspected) and after 8 months of daily testing my fingers were raw and soooo sore. Then just after the birth I had to face hourly test for 24 hours, then back again to 5 tests, after a week when my consultant said I could forego testing for 2 weeks then back to once a weeks testing, Did I argue by heck I didn't I actually cried with relief

Now whole different story, I use an insulin pump so on average test around 10 times a day, depending on what I'm doing, sometimes less sometimes a more! But at least with today's lancets if it wasn't for the blood drop you wouldn't know you've did a test..

Lets not forget extra testing when exercising or feeling ill, I have major arguments at the GP practise with, mainly, the receptionists who are all jobs worths and say things like 'your using too many' or 'its too soon' All I say is 'speak to the doctor and if he says no I will call my consultant', my Doctor has never said no.

That's not on. For a start, the DVLA expect you to test before you get behing the wheel, every time you drive. If you do two trips a day, that's 60 strips a month. On top of that you have your normal testing. How the hell can they say 50 strips is enough?! It's not like you're testing for the fun of it, is it?! You test because you have to. Absolutely ridiculous that they turn you away. Grrr

Elc1112 said:

That's not on. For a start, the DVLA expect you to test before you get behing the wheel, every time you drive. If you do two trips a day, that's 60 strips a month. On top of that you have your normal testing. How the hell can they say 50 strips is enough?! It's not like you're testing for the fun of it, is it?! You test because you have to. Absolutely ridiculous that they turn you away. Grrr

Click to expand...

The DVLA regs is a good one to get the message across to GP's/Consultants who are trying to restrict the use of test strips.

I doubt that A&E will be much help - they'll only write a prescription for the bare minimum, and since you don't need a prescription for test scripts I don't think they'll do that. A&E is for emergencies, and since you can walk into any pharmacy and buy a tub, it's not an emergency

I'd suggest buying the strips for now, but keep the receipts (there's probably a way to claim those expenses back) and change to a more reasonable doctor

jopar said:

My jaw dropped with your claims 50 tests strips were more than plentiful for you, that's until I got to the end of your post and realised you'll T2, which yes once you've got your initial control sorted, 50 strips a month should be enough to keep an eye on things to ensure no problems brewing with control..

Click to expand...

When I was first diagnosed I was using 120+ strips a month.

My PCT encourage T2s on met and diet to test, twice a day.

Me and my GP have been conducting an experiment over the last year. No testing at all. My latest HbA1c exactly the same as this time last year, NICE qualify it as excellent.

The first 12 months of testing were very useful, and for two months he prescribed enough strips to test 8 times a day. They allowed me to tune my diet to my requirements and associate symptoms with BG levels. The only concern I had was when i was prescribed steroids to help treat a recent bout of bronchitis, all I did was reduce the carb content of my diet.

I was diagnosed type 1. because they decided my control was good they decided i was type 2 after 10 years now i get 50 strips to last me 2 months minimum

Fifty per month! I use about 10 strips per year. It seems the more I use the worse my A1c gets. At diagnosis I did almost no testing for 5 yrs.My A1c was 4.5-5 (on mixtardx2) .Yeh I hypo'd now and then but always controllable.Hypos go with the show. Since 2003 when I bumped my car into a skip, I was switched from mixtard twice per day to Novarapid 3x and Lantas 1x. My A1c went from 5-5.6 to 7.3, just now managed to get it back to 7.0. I asked to go back on mixtard but they don't make it anymore.The 3day glucose test has for the last three times in a row showed that I was under 2.2 most of the night (the lowest the system reads). Not that bad, I dont get serious hypos until about 0.8 mmol/L. Then last time I had my dose halved after an urgent call from Team. This has staved off the ridiculous hunger but I haven't lost weight and my A1c hasnt really changed (fortunatley).They are threatening me with driving licence withdrawl if I dont test before driving.I always eat a handful of sweets before driving coz it seems to drop suddenly the more I drive.I drive I eat. I have for the last 2 years had my GP forget to issue statins on my prescription,despite them being on the form. The strips ARE expensive - maybe a pound each.If you are in a solid routine and are hypo aware, you shouldnt need to test very much. I feel highs and lows the same. And you always know when it's going to be high - just look at the pile of sugar on that chocolate cake! :silent: :shh:

JoCo said:

Fifty per month! I use about 10 strips per year. It seems the more I use the worse my A1c gets. At diagnosis I did almost no testing for 5 yrs.My A1c was 4.5-5 (on mixtardx2) .Yeh I hypo'd now and then but always controllable.Hypos go with the show. Since 2003 when I bumped my car into a skip, I was switched from mixtard twice per day to Novarapid 3x and Lantas 1x. My A1c went from 5-5.6 to 7.3, just now managed to get it back to 7.0. I asked to go back on mixtard but they don't make it anymore.The 3day glucose test has for the last three times in a row showed that I was under 2.2 most of the night (the lowest the system reads). Not that bad, I dont get serious hypos until about 0.8 mmol/L. Then last time I had my dose halved after an urgent call from Team. This has staved off the ridiculous hunger but I haven't lost weight and my A1c hasnt really changed (fortunatley).They are threatening me with driving licence withdrawl if I dont test before driving.I always eat a handful of sweets before driving coz it seems to drop suddenly the more I drive.I drive I eat. I have for the last 2 years had my GP forget to issue statins on my prescription,despite them being on the form. The strips ARE expensive - maybe a pound each.If you are in a solid routine and are hypo aware, you shouldnt need to test very much. I feel highs and lows the same. And you always know when it's going to be high - just look at the pile of sugar on that chocolate cake! :silent: :shh:

Click to expand...

The sooner DVLA pull your licence the better for all road users.
To put things bluntly, you are a ruddy fool and selfish beyond belief.

I joined a surgery last year, before hand I was on 150 per month, but usually run out of those within 3 weeks. Without even meeting me the doctor told me that 150 was too much and he was putting it down to 100. I was fuming. How dare he put it down to 100 without even discussing my diabetes, or even meeting me! I rang up and had a rant he told me he was a diabetes specialist, I told him I'm a doctor (not of medicine, but of science, but as far as he knew it was of medicine) which shut him up, I moved surgery and they give me 200 per month as they see it's important for my control and are pleased with my results. If I were you I'd change doctors.

Incidentally, I find any GP that calls themselves a diabetes specialist are actually **** at dishing out diabetes advice.

On a side note, JoCo, 2.2 during the night is really bad; and 0.8 for serious hypos. That's really dangerous.

Hey JoCo!

If you are on the basal/bolus regime as you now are, you need to test 6 or 7 times a day. Before meals (to calculate your dose), two hours after meals (to know the effect) and before bed to make sure you're not going to drop low overnight. You also need to test before driving (if you can't coincide that with one of your pre or post meal tests) and extra testing if you've had a hypo. On a twice-daily regime you can usually get away with less testing. If you don't want to test so often, basal/bolus is the wrong insulin regime for you. You are currently endangering yourself.

Smidge