To be fair, I am saving money on the pap (crisps, sweets, biscuits etc) so the price of the strips really is offset especially when I have recently cut down on the number of times I test. Swings and roundabouts.
However, I do think it would be a good thing to at least give newly diagnosed T2s a three or six month prescription for strips (plus meter) alongside good dietary advice to get them started. Not everyone can afford the metres or the strips which must mean a lot of guesswork and crossed fingers when HbA1c are taken 8/12 weeks apart.