• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Best place to buy test strips?

Depends on your meter. Amazon is a good source for most but do check out your local pharmacy and remind them that you should get them VAT free as a diabetic. Mine agreed to match Amazon prices which saved me the postage. You can get them on ebay but watch out for expiry dates on old stock.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
As you are type 1 you should get them for free? but if you have a codefree yes you can go Amazon. However whoever makes your meter ring them up and buy direct it is about half the price of the chemist.
 
Marfmama said:
Hi Im sure I saw a thread on here a while ago about buying your own test strips, just wondering if anyone could recommend best place to buy from? Cheers!

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...


You don't need to buy them as your a type 1 (assuming your based in the UK) so ask your gp for a prescription for the strips you use.
 
I have a prescription just I have seen others on here having trouble getting enough strips from gp - I have gone through one box in two weeks, I will try asking for.more but if they wont agree I will buy some

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Marfmama said:
I have a prescription just I have seen others on here having trouble getting enough strips from gp - I have gone through one box in two weeks, I will try asking for.more but if they wont agree I will buy some

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
A lot of the posts you read are type 2 trying to get strips you should be fine getting them


Sent from my iPad
 
How do you mean problems with the pharmacist? It's down to the doctor whether you get them on prescription


Sent from my iPad
 
I just reminded my GP that test strips are a **** site cheaper than ambulance call outs and hospital stays. She now never questions anything I ask for.
 
Speak to the GP or your diabetes clinic (hospital) When diagnosed I got 50 strips-doing minimum of 4 tests a day, so would last me 12 days, normally less as I was having hypos at start, plus getting the odd error message if I couldn't get enough blood. They put it up to 100 strips (25 days worth max) I spoke to them again last week and they've upped it to 200 strips (50 days worth), and same for the needles.

This is much easier as I get 5 apidra pens on my prescription which is 4-5 months worth!!
 
I've just collected my repeat prescription for testing strips and it's been cut from 6packs to 3packs so I might need to start buying some


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Having experienced a refused prescription in the past for test strips I have found more information about this... they cannot refuse you... after the incident i spoke to my GP and apparently they have to try and reduce the amount they are prescribing BUT it shouldnt be a t1 (or anyone on insulin)
As a T1 you should be testing at least a few days througout the day (and thats if your sat doing nothing) but then considering if you drive, you have to test before driving, test when hypo etc you cant set a number of how many test strips you are allowed to use.

Funny problems with pharmasist was mentioned... picked up my prescription at beginning of week and the silly lady tried lecturing about not supposed to give so many test strips in 1 go to someone (just told em its not for them to decide, but the doctor)
 
I kinda feel embarresed asking for 300 strips at a time. So whereas other supplies, I usually get a months worth at a time, I'm picking up a repeat for strips every fortnight! Ok I'm wierd I know :-(
 
Dragonflye said:
Having experienced a refused prescription in the past for test strips I have found more information about this... they cannot refuse you... after the incident i spoke to my GP and apparently they have to try and reduce the amount they are prescribing BUT it shouldnt be a t1 (or anyone on insulin)
As a T1 you should be testing at least a few days througout the day (and thats if your sat doing nothing) but then considering if you drive, you have to test before driving, test when hypo etc you cant set a number of how many test strips you are allowed to use.

Funny problems with pharmasist was mentioned... picked up my prescription at beginning of week and the silly lady tried lecturing about not supposed to give so many test strips in 1 go to someone (just told em its not for them to decide, but the doctor)
Click to expand...
Similar problem for me; a while ago I had a batch of dodgy insulin pens, I was turning the dial to the amount I needed then it would get stuck and wouldn't push down to release the insulin - as a result I ran out a lot sopner than expected, went to pharmacist with my repeat prescription, she said it would take 4 days, I said I was fine to wait for all thw other stuff but needed novorapid that day as had none to take at all, she lectured me on being more prepared, I explained about the pens all being faulty, she didnt believe me, said I could cope by just increasing my novorapid doses the next day! Im.not good with confrontation so came home and burst into tears (it had been a long day ha!) My boyfriend took my dodgy pens and stormed off to the pharmacist. Came back with a new box of levemir for me. Then when I went back to pick up all the other bits on my prescription 4 days later all they had was 2 boxes of levemir for me!! Argh!! I said noooo what about my needles and strips and novorapid?!?!

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Marfmama said:
Similar problem for me; a while ago I had a batch of dodgy insulin pens, I was turning the dial to the amount I needed then it would get stuck and wouldn't push down to release the insulin - as a result I ran out a lot sopner than expected, went to pharmacist with my repeat prescription, she said it would take 4 days, I said I was fine to wait for all thw other stuff but needed novorapid that day as had none to take at all, she lectured me on being more prepared, I explained about the pens all being faulty, she didnt believe me, said I could cope by just increasing my novorapid doses the next day! Im.not good with confrontation so came home and burst into tears (it had been a long day ha!) My boyfriend took my dodgy pens and stormed off to the pharmacist. Came back with a new box of levemir for me. Then when I went back to pick up all the other bits on my prescription 4 days later all they had was 2 boxes of levemir for me!! Argh!! I said noooo what about my needles and strips and novorapid?!?!

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...

The simplist solution here is to find a new chemist. nb: this is unlikely to be succesful if you live in a one chemist town. ;-)
 
Back
Top