Diabetes meters and government cost cutting

[Deanuz]

So a few months ago I woke up in the middle of the night feeling sick, thirsty, had stomach pain, and ketones 4.5 mmol as I felt really bad I naturally went to hospital to get myself checked out after reporting my sugars to be of a normal level (for me) 12mmol to them they told me no your sugars aren't what it's saying on your Meter it's even higher in the 30-40 range, after a week in hospital while I was there I spoke to the diabetes specialist which replaced my meter from a glucomen lx to a freestyle optium neo. The new meter I have no faults with and I prefer it to the old one but after running out of strips which was provided by the hospital I've needed to order from my gp surgery.

When asking for it to be added they have now said they can't prescribe me the optium strips and have told me I have to change my Meter to one of their cheaper ones, just wondering if I should take the new meter or ask if the hospital will prescribe the strips or if anyone had any recommendations?

Thanks for your time

 

[tim2000s]

If the cheaper meter is the one that gave you bad results previously, I'd explain to them that you don't feel tha tyou can trust the results as a previous one had put you in hospital. hey'll struggle to argue with that.

 

[noblehead]

Just contact your DSN and ask them to email your gp surgery to insist that the Optium strips are prescribed for you, this cost-cutting exercise has happened to a few type 1's on the forum but usually a letter from the hospital diabetes clinic is enough to change their minds. Lets know how you get on.

 

[Deanuz]

If the cheaper meter is the one that gave you bad results previously, I'd explain to them that you don't feel tha tyou can trust the results as a previous one had put you in hospital. hey'll struggle to argue with that.

Funnily enough the receptionist argued a little and was informed that they have no way of prescribing them but is having a word with the practice manager Monday

 

[Oldvatr]

This change in meters to cheaper ones is I suspect a general cost cutting exercise that is being made at Practice level, and follows government cuts to budgets. It is not directly controlled by the Gov. but is an indirect consequence.
I too was put on the NEO, and find it reliable and reasonably accurate. The strips are expensive for me to buy privately (£25 to £32) and I cannot get VAT relief on them. Note: NHS cost is limited to £15.99 per pak/50 so this is what the GP Practice pays via scrip.
I have a cheaper meter, but it reads high and give misreads and false readings, but because it passes its own calibration test then I cannot get it replaced. This meter read 8.6 mmol/: when my NEO read 4.7 last night, and I was deffo entering hypoland. Today my FBGL on the NEO was 6.9, and it was 10.1 on the cheapo. But a cal test showed it to be valid. But others using this meter swear by its accuracy, whereas I just swear at mine.

 

[Oldvatr]

Funnily enough the receptionist argued a little and was informed that they have no way of prescribing them but is having a word with the practice manager Monday

As a T1D they should not be leaving you in the lurch over a weekend. You should have been referred to the duty doctor to get a short term solution until you can see your prescribing GP to get a long term fix. It should not be the Practice manager that prescribes medical needs.
However, the receptionist is quite right, they cannot sign scrips, but the duty doctor can. Failing that try 111 (but that has its own issues)

 

[iHs]

Hi

You say that you were in hospital with DKA a few months ago and was given the replacement meter and some teststrips but how many strips did the hospital give you as you are only just now posting your message? Do you bg test at least 4 times per day or do you test 6 or more?

 

[Deanuz]

Hi

You say that you were in hospital with DKA a few months ago and was given the replacement meter and some teststrips but how many strips did the hospital give you as you are only just now posting your message? Do you bg test at least 4 times per day or do you test 6 or more?

I test 4 times a day and was refferred to weekly appointments the hospital gave me about 200 ish and had a few top ups her and there I've still got 15 ish left, I test 4 times but I've just been introduced carb counting so I'm testing more

 

[iHs]

Hi

Your dsn should have given you a letter to hand to your GP practice requesting a change to the replacement meter and to prescribe the necessary teststrips. GP practices should not be using a one size fit all approach and should be leaving type 1 diabetics alone. An appointment with your GP as urgent should ensure that you get prescribed the correct teststrips for the meter given you at the hospital. The GP should prescribe you keytone teststrips as well but I hope the dsn at your hospital gave you some keytone strips. Look after yourself.....you dont want to repeat DKA again if you can help it. The basal/bolus regime is not really safe to use with just 4 teststrips per day so I am not that surprised that your bg control went way out of control.

all the best

 

[sweetevans1]

Good for you for standing up for T1D, I to had a problem like yourselves but I am am now using a digital meter, I have been a T1D for most of my life. ( you must make a stand for your right's) Good luck to you.

 

[Kevwuk1986]

So a few months ago I woke up in the middle of the night feeling sick, thirsty, had stomach pain, and ketones 4.5 mmol as I felt really bad I naturally went to hospital to get myself checked out after reporting my sugars to be of a normal level (for me) 12mmol to them they told me no your sugars aren't what it's saying on your Meter it's even higher in the 30-40 range, after a week in hospital while I was there I spoke to the diabetes specialist which replaced my meter from a glucomen lx to a freestyle optium neo. The new meter I have no faults with and I prefer it to the old one but after running out of strips which was provided by the hospital I've needed to order from my gp surgery.

When asking for it to be added they have now said they can't prescribe me the optium strips and have told me I have to change my Meter to one of their cheaper ones, just wondering if I should take the new meter or ask if the hospital will prescribe the strips or if anyone had any recommendations?

Thanks for your time

Heya,

My GP Surgery has been trying to get me to change away from freestyle for years. However as you are a type 1, you need the freestyle's built in rapid acting insulin calculator. Or you could simply do what I did, and say that "either I use freestyle or I don't test my bloods" . They can and do prescribe freestyle strips so they are just trying to save money

 

[ann34+]

A letter from your hospital clinic explaining that, even with the correct meter, 4 tests a day is quite unsuitable for a Type one is needed - that was the max over 30 years ago, and it did not work - there were not enough strips to test for potential hypos, you were just meant to have them, and then react - a recipe for hypo unawareness and further problems. And back then you could not properly deal with highs or illness. You need an absolute minimum of 6, preferably 8 and some extra for illness, driving if you drive, etc.. Your health is important.

 

[Bertyboy]

I'm interested to know what meters other people with recent diagnoses have been given and what they are prescribed by their GP.
I've had a bit of an unclear message so far. Two weeks ago, I bought an SD CodeFree meter to test my suspicions. I also bought 50 of their strips, because they're only £5.99 for a vial. I like the compact size and simplicity of this meter, and it confirmed my suspicions (21 mmol/l reading).
When I met the DSN after referal, she gave me a Glucomen Aero2x, about 25 strips, a few lancets and needles and a prescription for the insulin.
She gave me some more strips on my follow up and said she'd send the details for prescription to my GP. I phoned them on Thursday, because I was down to my last 6 test strips and the receptionist said I would have to bring my meter in because they didn't support the same ones as the North Bristol NHS trust (something about the approved budget of the PCT).
So I made a trip to my GP in my Friday lunch hour (a 20 minute drive away from the office), only to be told they hadn't agreed the prescription with the hospital and sent me back without a prescription. They phoned me back later, after my DSN had contacted them to say they now *would* make it up and I could collect it today!
I wouldn't mind, but a) the prescription cost me nearly £35, because my GP hasn't issued a medical exceptional certificate yet and b) I find that the Glucose strips require a pretty big blob of blood to give a reading. Also, the prescription only covers 50 strips. As I am supposed to test morning, noon, early evening and bed time, plus another before I drive home, that's barely over a week. Will I really have to collect a prescription every 10 days?

 

[catapillar]

@Bertyboy Keep the proof of any payments on prescriptions and claim it back when you get you exemption certificate issued. I'm pretty sure they will refund it, but I've never actually paid a prescription charge so, check that.

Tell your GP to give you a repeat prescription for sufficient strips to keep you going for a month - there is no limit on the strips that should be available to type 1s and when newly diagnosed you will be testing more. I get 300 strips in one go, I told my GP I wanted to cut down the admin burden of my diabetes both for them and for me so they bumped up the number strips on my repeat.