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Does anyone have any experience in regards to Freestyle Libre sensor after 6 month trial?

MeiChanski

MeiChanski

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,990
Location
Warwickshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello friends,

I am assuming some of you have been prescribed the libre sensor on a 6 month trial. I am soon coming to the end of my 6 months and I don’t know what happens next - do they stop prescribing it? Or continue prescribing it? Is there a criteria that they use to stop or continue prescribing it?
 
I know with my doctors when they initially got the letter from the diabetic clinic at the hospital it said a 6-month trial, so on they set up the availability of the sensors to 12 in total (ie 6 months worth), so yes until reviewed I wouldn't be able to get more.

As it happens I had a diabetic appointment for teh hospital diabetic clinic at about 5 months into the trial, so chatted to them there and they agreed I should continue and therefore wrote a letter to the doctors to say to continue prescribing, so now the docs have upped the availability of the sensors to enough for a year (ie the docs still review everything yearly no matter what).

When I got the trial I did get a letter I had to sign stated that i'd scan at least 8 times a day and continue going to my diabetic reviews and it stated the continuation criteria on it, did you not get something similar?
 
Thank you for the tag @DCUKMod
Hi, I had a 2 week trial in April 2019, then I was given the Libre on June 27th 2019, I was in a group of about 12, so coming up to 5 months at the end of November and, as far as i am aware, it's full term.
I would get in touch with your DSN and ask what happens next, after the trial period is over.
Good luck :)
 
I had my review 3 months ago and the DSN was happy that I was using my libre according to their standards. But now I’m coming to the end, around December is when my 6 month trial ends, so I don’t know what happens then. I don’t see anyone until January 2020 and I’m seeing my consultant in two weeks time. There’s also another conversation for a CGM so I’m all over the place. I didn’t get a letter about hba1c improvement, scanning more than 8 times etc or anything about the criteria. I was doing the scanning and noting down my insulin, carbs and activities and my dsn was happy with that.
 
Was it the consultant that approved them (for myself it was the consultant who had to approve them), if it was your consultant that approved them (actually approved not just who added to your prescription) then talk to him/her in 2 weeks and see what needs to be done for continued prescribing, if it wasn't your consultant (and he/she doesn't don't who to talk to) ring up your DSN and find out who you need to bother about it.

Don't just let it lapse, it is unlikely to be automatically continued.
 
Amazing how much some of us have to fight for a CGM. Yes, the initial cost is higher but it's not only predictable, it also saves tens of thousands in other medical costs if a patient is able and willing to work with the data gleaned from the sensors.
 
MeiChanski said:
Hello friends,

I am assuming some of you have been prescribed the libre sensor on a 6 month trial. I am soon coming to the end of my 6 months and I don’t know what happens next - do they stop prescribing it? Or continue prescribing it? Is there a criteria that they use to stop or continue prescribing it?
Click to expand...
 
After self-funding Libre for several months, my consultant and DSN offered six-month trial that will come to end at the beginning of December. I signed a “Patient Agreement” letter with eight conditions and two personal targets, before my first NHS prescription.

The letter states that Libre funding will be stopped after six months if I fail to meet the conditions and personal targets. The two targets were a reduction of 6mmol (0.5%) in HbA1C and reduction of hypos.
 
Ah that’s really strange. When I was prescribed the libre sensors by my consultant, he said it’s for six months and nothing else. I didn’t sign anything or had terms that I needed to accept prior to getting it. I was also told each case is reviewed on case by case basis, like some had to do an educational course before getting it and some didn’t. So I’m quite unsure what happens next.
 
Talk to you consultant when you see him, ask about getting it continued, given he was the one who approved and prescribed it, he'll be the one that needs to say you can continue with it (or another consultant if he's unavailable at the time), different areas may have different criteria for continuation (a bit like the fact that some areas you have to fight for them, others you don't).
 
MeiChanski said:
Ah that’s really strange. When I was prescribed the libre sensors by my consultant, he said it’s for six months and nothing else. I didn’t sign anything or had terms that I needed to accept prior to getting it. I was also told each case is reviewed on case by case basis, like some had to do an educational course before getting it and some didn’t. So I’m quite unsure what happens next.
Click to expand...

Mei - Have you checked your medical records online, to see if the medications section gives you are clues how that is set up?

I can usually work out what's going on from there on mine.
 
Hello sorry late reply, I had a chat with my nurse since I see her in my DAFNE session. She said there is a criteria that we, libre users need to adhere to which was: I need to scan it as much as possible, hba1c has improved or not changed by too much due to hypos (I think this is where I fall short) and I have to upload everything to libre view. But since I’m coming to the end of my trial, she said I shouldn’t worry too much because I’ll be moving onto a CGM soon.
 
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