Blood sugar meters

I am 68 and Type 2 - a recent graduate from "Pre-diabetic". My mother, 90, is a Type 1 insulin. My grandfather (maternal) died from Diabetes at 58 yrs old.

Here in Canada, specifically Ontario, your out of pocket costs vary based on "Pre-diabetic", Type 1, or Type 2. Meters are "free" if you buy the first 100 strips. Under the Ontario Public Drug Programs, age 65 or older (I guess that people under 65 are at no risk for diabetes according to our health plans) or under certain support programs, depending on your type of diabetes, you get "x" free strips and pay if you need more. The strips, as mentioned before, are the costly part - affordable for some but not all. How often that you test will determine your cost over and above your no-charge allowance. As you can see, unless you are using insulin, the free strips are minimal. Lancets are not free.

Test strips no-charge per 365 day period:
3000: Patients managing diabetes with insulin
400: Patients managing diabetes with anti-diabetes medication with higher risk of causing hypoglycemia* (about 1 strip per day avg)
200: Patients managing diabetes using anti-diabetes medication with lower risk of causing hypoglycemia* (1 strip every 2 days avg)
200: Patients managing diabetes through diet/lifestyle therapy only (no insulin or anti-diabetes medications)

Unless you are on insulin then if you want to test on a regular basis to monitor your blood sugar levels, there will be the cost of the test strips. About $60 +/- CDN (36 BP) per 50 strips.

Ontario drug program pays about $100 million Canadian Dollars or 60 million British Pounds per year paying for the strips under this program (3% of Ontario drug plan expenditure).

Ontario Drug Program Financial Assistance
https://www.diabetes.ca/getmedia/48...ntario-financial-assistance-programs.pdf.aspx
https://www.diabetes.ca/getmedia/48...ntario-financial-assistance-programs.pdf.aspx
The current provincial Liberal party in power reduced the number of free strips but this may change in the next election as the current gov't is not popular (20%).

Yes, the meters do vary but are a good weather vane to either congratulate you or slap you in the face and say "Smarten up!"

I have 3 different meters (I am a techie guy, elder geek, and wanted to see for myself). The variance is minimal between them. Tykess, One Touch Verio IQ, and AccuCheck Aviva. My favourite being the Tykess. The One Touch Verio IQ gives "way off" false readings if the battery is not kept fully charged and it does not hold a charge very long. The AccuCheck Aviva and Tykess use replaceable batteries that do last a long time. I also have the Bant App on my iPhone to keep track of my readings.

ukuleleplayer said:

I'm sure these points have been covered before but hey, they need saying.
First point is why can't type 2 patients get meters, lancets & test strips on prescription? OK, there's a cost involved. But consider the cost when somebody decides they don't want to fork out £30 to £50 a month. They have no idea what is or isn't working for them. Chances are, they'll make poor decisions. What may have been controllable with diet now requires drugs. And that's just the start.
Early intervention with the tools to help educate the person about what does and doesn't work for them is actually a cheap option.

The second point I know has appeared before but wanted to put in my pennyworth.
Either changing my meter had a magical effect (albeit not huge) on my blood sugar levels or different meters give different results.
My own view is that it isn't that important providing the differences between readings on each are similar, that is two pre-prandial readings can differ, as can two post-prandial. It is the difference between each respective set of pre and post readings that matters.

The new meter I'm using is the Bayer Contour Next. Readings seem a tad lower than previous SD Codefree meter. Interesting fact is that the Bayer Microlet lancets are less painful (and more productive!) than 28G universal lancets I used previously.

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Understand exactly how you feel. I have managed to persuade GP for allowance of one test a day, fund the other 3/4 of tests myself, use a meter (ihealth) with strips @ £15 pot. Pre breakfast was 8.2, carby brunch 92g carb, three hours later drove 10 miles to home of diabetic friend, who when I walked in insisted I test, result 3.2 what good is relying on a half yearly hab1c test with results like that. I'm not recently diagnosed, and carefully monitor blood sugar levels, watch what I eat which is also all recorded

I've never paid for a meter and I have atleast 15 of them.
Ive been using the Accuchck Connect which wirelessly sends results to my meter.
I really like it. As far as accuracy it is probably as good as they get.

It could be all down to your local area NHS or even your surgery with regards to getting meters and the lancets and test strips on prescription.

My dad is type 2 and gets all this. He was told once not to test his BG and not to bother recording it as often as he does by apractice nurse. The GP put her right. My dad keeps excellent control and records everything in particular those special meals that pushes his BG up.

Regards

Martin

CarbsRok said:

No one can get a meter on prescription. The reps leave some at clinics or surgeries for the nurses to dish out. So if you want a meter just look on the net and you will see plenty available for free, just make sure your mouse accidently on purpose slips so you tick the type 1 box and the meter will be sent to you free of charge

Click to expand...

sorry to disagree with you on this issue but I got my meter and test strips and lancets on prescription and even a replacement meter when mine failed. I'm on medication only, no insulin, but currently my DN is happy to continue prescribing - even though she insists I "can't" get hypos!!!!!! They must just be my imagination then, but at least having a meter gives me more control over my levels, so I just hope my surgery continues to prescribe!

ukuleleplayer said:

I'm sure these points have been covered before but hey, they need saying.
First point is why can't type 2 patients get meters, lancets & test strips on prescription? OK, there's a cost involved. But consider the cost when somebody decides they don't want to fork out £30 to £50 a month. They have no idea what is or isn't working for them. Chances are, they'll make poor decisions. What may have been controllable with diet now requires drugs. And that's just the start.
Early intervention with the tools to help educate the person about what does and doesn't work for them is actually a cheap option.

The second point I know has appeared before but wanted to put in my pennyworth.
Either changing my meter had a magical effect (albeit not huge) on my blood sugar levels or different meters give different results.
My own view is that it isn't that important providing the differences between readings on each are similar, that is two pre-prandial readings can differ, as can two post-prandial. It is the difference between each respective set of pre and post readings that matters.

The new meter I'm using is the Bayer Contour Next. Readings seem a tad lower than previous SD Codefree meter. Interesting fact is that the Bayer Microlet lancets are less painful (and more productive!) than 28G universal lancets I used previously.

Click to expand...

Its for short term saving's Nice or whoever set's the policy only want the save on the present budget
The fact it may cost a fortune down the road is not even considered,

its the same reason the gov opted for hospital building projects on a buy now pay later scheme
that leaves taxpayer paying hundreds of million more, and of course these people are long gone before it hits the fan

I reckon I'm lucky as my GP seems to be happy to prescribe test strips and lancets, I'm T2 (diagnosed Dec 2015) and on meds. I find that testing every couple of days and at different meal times times gives me a half decent idea as to what I eat and how much exercise I take influences my BG. I've created an Excel spreadsheet and associated graph to record my results to see how my overall average BG is trending. Without the meter and occasional testing I'd be completely in the dark about my progress apart from results of my HbA1C tests twice a year.
There's a lot of hype about self-managing diabetes, but management info is critical to do this!

mandy_horsley said:

sorry to disagree with you on this issue but I got my meter and test strips and lancets on prescription and even a replacement meter when mine failed. I'm on medication only, no insulin, but currently my DN is happy to continue prescribing - even though she insists I "can't" get hypos!!!!!! They must just be my imagination then, but at least having a meter gives me more control over my levels, so I just hope my surgery continues to prescribe!

Click to expand...

The meter was not on prescription it was provided by the company that makes them, the reps just leave a load at each surgery as this encourages the nurse to hand them out and the company then has the lucrative test strip market.Your nurse just dispensed it to you end of story.

Does the cost out weigh the number of rising ailments and hospital visits? Amputations, blindness, cuts not healing the list goes on. Why not have a prescribed machine for 3-12 months so the type 2 diabetic learns what they can eat and what they can not eat. When they need to watch exercise for low dips/high dips. Is it not worth 12 months of cost compared to the cost of operations? An educated type 2 will save a whole lot more than a person stumbling around in the dark.

Kyi
That's way too logical for any bureaucrat!
I've had 21 laser surguries in each eye, quintuplet bipass all related to diabetes.
Yes the meters are given out by the companies and are not via perscription. Only the strips can be by perscription if you are on a plan that you get remnbersed by . Ive bought then without perscription because the particular strips werent approved by by insurer.

my DN gave me a meter and I also have one from code free both very good meters which I have changed every three years...

ukuleleplayer said:

I'm sure these points have been covered before but hey, they need saying.
First point is why can't type 2 patients get meters, lancets & test strips on prescription? OK, there's a cost involved. But consider the cost when somebody decides they don't want to fork out £30 to £50 a month. They have no idea what is or isn't working for them. Chances are, they'll make poor decisions. What may have been controllable with diet now requires drugs. And that's just the start.
Early intervention with the tools to help educate the person about what does and doesn't work for them is actually a cheap option.

The second point I know has appeared before but wanted to put in my pennyworth.
Either changing my meter had a magical effect (albeit not huge) on my blood sugar levels or different meters give different results.
My own view is that it isn't that important providing the differences between readings on each are similar, that is two pre-prandial readings can differ, as can two post-prandial. It is the difference between each respective set of pre and post readings that matters.

The new meter I'm using is the Bayer Contour Next. Readings seem a tad lower than previous SD Codefree meter. Interesting fact is that the Bayer Microlet lancets are less painful (and more productive!) than 28G universal lancets I used previously.

Click to expand...

I have never paid for meters, lancets or test strips, I get them on prescription, and have done since I was diagnosed in 1991.

ukuleleplayer said:

Perhaps Theresa May's government will be more sympathetic ..... though I'm not holding my breath.

Click to expand...

Given she has herself been diagnosed with Diabetes Type 1 in 2013 one would hope she would help fellow sufferers .....