Type 2 Diabetes Review

[brianzion_]

does anyone have advice about a diabetes review I normally have it 6 monthly with my local diabetes nurse at my surgery but I have not been informed or told what's happening due to the Covid-19 pandemic

 

[brianzion_]

the surgery sent me this text message

Dear Mr
You are getting this message because your medicines include empagliflozin. If you become unwell, particularly with COVID-19, this medicine could cause extra problems. IF you become unwell with fever or difficulty breathing, STOP taking it and contact your doctor. DO NOT STOP taking it if you remain well. This medicine does NOT increase your chance of catching COVID-19. Further advice: https://trend-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/A5_T2Illness_TREND_FINAL.pdf
Thanks,
(name of surgery)

 

[Brunneria]

Hi @brianzion_

My surgery have drastically changed the way they do things due to the coronavirus.
They have stopped all routine blood pressure checks and other checkups, patients are told to NOT turn up at the surgery for anything unless they have previously spoken to a member of staff who has specifically invited them to attend and told them the correct procedure to do so. All medication reviews will be conducted by phone (if they happen). Also, the adjoining pharmacy have stated that they will be delivering ALL prescriptions, by a fantastic team of volunteers for the duration. In addition, all the admin staff have been sent home - for their own safety - and are now working from home, which has led to the number of phone lines being drastically reduced, and the phone queue system is no longer available.

Obviously, I don't know whether your surgery has introduced similar measures, but I imagine that some of them are pretty standard.

I would try checking your surgery's website, in the first instance (My surgery has become much better at disseminating info that way lately). If the info isn't there, then you may well find an online consultation button, which will allow you to ask your question there. If your surgery is anything like mine, then they would rather you did not phone to ask the question provided you can find an alternate contact method.

 

[EllieM]

All medication reviews will be conducted by phone (if they happen).

Hmm, I suppose that it is too much to hope that this will encourage surgeries to give glucometers to T2s.

MY 89 yo T2 dad, who got back from a 3 month visit to us in NZ in March, has just had his diabetic meds (1 80mg gliclazide tablet reduced from 3 in November after a 43 hba1c) reduced to zero, with no consultation (or hba1c) whatsoever. Luckily, while his bgs are now slightly higher than normal (7 before meals up to 9 after), they are not too bad, so I haven't tried to make a fuss about this. At least he can't now go hypo (though he wasn't before).

 

[Brunneria]

Hmm, I suppose that it is too much to hope that this will encourage surgeries to give glucometers to T2s.

MY 89 yo T2 dad, who got back from a 3 month visit to us in NZ in March, has just had his diabetic meds (1 80mg gliclazide tablet reduced from 3 in November after a 43 hba1c) reduced to zero, with no consultation (or hba1c) whatsoever. Luckily, while his bgs are now slightly higher than normal (7 before meals up to 9 after), they are not too bad, so I haven't tried to make a fuss about this. At least he can't now go hypo (though he wasn't before).

My surgery have actually been conducting medication reviews over the phone for a couple of years now (or shoehorning them into other appointments, to reduce pressure on staff and doubling up on workload).

At one point they had a designated member of staff who did all the reviews (contacted you to arrange phone appt, then rang you for the appt). Then any subsequent queries that needed an actual doc or nurse appt were arranged there and then.

It seemed to work very well. Probably that system has fallen by the way for the current covid situation.

 

[Daphne917]

My surgery have actually been conducting medication reviews over the phone for a couple of years now (or shoehorning them into other appointments, to reduce pressure on staff and doubling up on workload).

At one point they had a designated member of staff who did all the reviews (contacted you to arrange phone appt, then rang you for the appt). Then any subsequent queries that needed an actual doc or nurse appt were arranged there and then.

It seemed to work very well. Probably that system has fallen by the way for the current covid situation.

The pharmacist next to the surgery does mine annually.

 

[brianzion_]

thanks for all your kind replies I am lucky I have testing equipment still supplied by my surgery so I am still self testing and recording my results I will contact my surgery for advice