Boots told to stop selling Libre Sensors to patients!!

cool_blonde212003 said:

I have been buying my libre sensors from my local Boots. I normally buy 2 at once to last me a month. The last time I went in there was only one box but Boots said they’d order more. Checked at the weekend they hadn’t come in but I was told they’d be here for today.

When I went in on my way home from work the lady read out a notice they’d received I assume from Boots HQ saying they’d had lots of queries with regard to selling the sensors to patients and that patients should be directed to the Abbots website if they wish to purchase them!?!?

Has anyone else had problems? I’m going away tomorrow evening and my sensor runs out on Saturday . I’ll not be able to order one in time. Where do others buy theirs from and how much do you pay?

Thanks

Nikki

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Superdrug has been mentioned. You might try them.

cool_blonde212003 said:

Has anyone else had problems? I’m going away tomorrow evening and my sensor runs out on Saturday . I’ll not be able to order one in time. Where do others buy theirs from and how much do you pay?

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Sorry to hear that, what a pain.

I used to get mine from Boots at around £50 a piece (can't remember exact price) but bought my last two from Superdrug Pharmacy for £35 each last week. Shouldn't take much more than 24hr unless UPS who delivered to my Superdrug lie about trying to deliver (the driver said the shop was shut mid-week, duh).

I collected 2 x sensors today from my Boots and was told that as of today they will no longer be able to sell them. I have been getting them from there for several months now but apparently Boots HQ has issued a directive to stop.
Not sure if other sources ie Asda, Superdrug etc will still be selling them.

I intend to speak with Abbots to find out what is going on, I'll report back.

Best.

Superdrug still selling them £35 each. All you need to do is hand in a completed VAT exemption form.

Apparently, £35 is the cost price, so I doubt Superdrug will continue to supply at that price.

Bluetit1802 said:

Apparently, £35 is the cost price, so I doubt Superdrug will continue to supply at that price.

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Given how much profit they make on dispensing NHS prescription, it may work out OK for them if they can get everyone who buys a libre to also get all their NHS prescription there.

Bluetit1802 said:

I doubt Superdrug will continue to supply at that price.

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I'm surprised that they sell at this price in the first place, although not complaining. I'm just waiting for them to say the price has gone up or worse still they go the way Boots have. I wonder what's going on there. I'll have to ask my local Boots, they know me quite well and have always been most helpful. Maybe they'll give me the lowdown.

ringi said:

Given how much profit they make on dispensing NHS prescription,

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I think making a profit is inaccurate, earning a profit is better and even then, profit? Really? Where do they "make" this profit?

For a start, there was a reduction of 4% in funding to pharmacies as a whole in 2016/2017 and another 3.4% in 2017/2018.

The prescription charge is a tax that the pharmacist collects on HM Government's behalf. It is deducted from any fees the government might pay them.

They receive a single activity fee of £1.13 (as of last October and different in the 4 NHS organisations) and even if you could dispense 6 scripts an hour that barely covers the minimum wage (I'm sure dispensing staff and pharmacists are paid more).

There are additional fees for unlicensed medicines and appliances.

The drugs are purchased by the pharmacy and the NHS will reimburse them but only pay a set amount. Bit like Tesco only paying farmers what Tesco wants to pay.

Practice Payments use to be made if they maintain a certain level of staff dependent on prescriptions issued.

They receive something called an establishment fee which is being phased out. That was around around £25,000 but that figure reduced by 20% in December 2016 and a further 40% in April 2017 (compared to 2015/2016 figure).

There is a Pharmacy Access Scheme to help pharmacies in out of the way places. Presently around £1500 a month, I suppose that might pay the council tax.

There is a quality payment scheme which seems to be related to using electronic systems and provision of special services, I'm surprised they understand it.

I can see why Superdrug don't have a pharmacy in every store, what a pain in the neck and if somebody was looking for investors in a pharmacy, I'd advise potential investors to hang on to their money.

Friend of mine got fed up with it all gave up his pharmacy and went to work as a prison pharmacist less stressful.

Pharmacies was a large scale that also sell lots of their products can make very good money, its like comparing Aldi to you local corner shop.....

ringi said:

you local corner shop.....

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Do they actually exist. LOL (typed with tongue in cheek).

Rumour has it is Abbott that have told all pharmacies (Boots, Superdrug et al) they can only dispense with an NHS prescription and not sell it to joe public. It took ages when Boots HQ emailed all their pharmacists to sell it at the same price Abbott do, some were charging £35 others over the odds (£62!) - I suspect it will take a while for this 'prescription only' directive to filter out so you might still be lucky.

Feel sorry for the people who have been purchasing it over the counter and using a mobile to scan, they won't have a current account with Abbott and as they aren't accepting new customers at the mo they are left completely high and dry.

I feel very lucky as I registered with Abbott a couple of years ago when I first started using a Libre and bought the starting kit. Very glad I did now as I ordered 2 sensors on 4th May which were shipped on 9th May and received a day or so after that. No problems at all.

Abbotts web site does restrict you to 2 sensors per order - although they give you free p&p, and you can only order 25 days after your previous order. I think their ordering process/delivery times and stock levels will return to normal once the chemists stop selling them willy nilly - some people were ordering 10+ at a time! or ordering a couple online getting fed up of waiting & ordering more at Boots and Superdrug/Asda/where ever all at once - so 'demand' went through the roof 3 fold.........

slip said:

Rumour has it is Abbott that have told all pharmacies (Boots, Superdrug et al) they can only dispense with an NHS prescription and not sell it to joe public. It took ages when Boots HQ emailed all their pharmacists to sell it at the same price Abbott do, some were charging £35 others over the odds (£62!) - I suspect it will take a while for this 'prescription only' directive to filter out so you might still be lucky.

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I think rumour is the operative word, my local Boots hasn't been informed yet, but I might find out something different on Monday/Tuesday because my pharmacist will ask head office.

Insisting that customers have a prescription has all sorts of ramifications. The major one being that they won't be making £15 or there abouts on every sensor, in fact, they will have no profit at all. Obviously you are then left with a lot of customers who will not have a prescription who will be going into their GP and giving them wholly hell to get a prescription.

Abbott will be completely aware that these sensors have been sold without a prescription up until now and lets be honest those of us who have paid them £50 a sensor have helped them get the product off the ground. I also think that Abbott can't just say "it needs a prescription", it needs to be reclassified, see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medicines-reclassify-your-product.

Anyway, if things get ridiculous, who would join me in demonstrating outside number 10 (as close as you can get anyway) or maybe a joint action against Abbott for being complete $h1t$.

It is always possible that the NHS has put pressure on Abbott because patients with a prescription can't get hold of them from local pharmacies due to the shortage at the moment? Only a little thought from this patient that is never likely to be granted a prescription (even for testing equipment) even though I still need tools to be able to keep my diabetes controlled.

Bluetit1802 said:

patients with a prescription can't get hold of them from local pharmacies due to the shortage at the moment?

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I have now ordered sensors from Boots on two occasions, Superdrug only last week and I spoke to my man in my local Boots today who is still ordering them as before, and getting them within 24hrs. Is this shortage a local thing? I wonder how many prescriptions have been issued, not that many I feel. Again, going back to my local guy, he's been ordering for 4 people and has recently actually seen one prescription.

You couldn’t make it up, what a way to run a business!

becca59 said:

You couldn’t make it up, what a way to run a business!

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I've already penned a letter to TM (the PM), but I'm waiting to see the outcome of what my man at Boots says when he's checked with head office. He's not heard anything to date and has only recently ordered two for a customer which I could actually see on the shelf in the bit where they prepare scripts. He was taken aback when I explained "the rumour", and even he thought it was stupid as they presently make £15 a throw.

We shall see.