GP reduced blood strips without agreeing this with me first.

[PurpleSky1111]

Hi,

Wondering if anyone has any advice.
Without telling me first, my doctor has reduced my repeat for blood checking strips from 4 bottles per month to 2, which for me I don't feel is enough.

They tried last year to put me on cheaper strips, gave me a machine 'just to try', and even though after two months I stopped ordering those strips - it seems they're pushing me into these strips by now reducing the strips for my good machine.

Does anyone have any advice?
Or know which section of NICE may have the current up to date guidelines on what is correct procedure and allowance for t1 diabetic prescription items?

 

[Bakerjass]

Hi,

Wondering if anyone has any advice.
Without telling me first, my doctor has reduced my repeat for blood checking strips from 4 bottles per month to 2, which for me I don't feel is enough.

They tried last year to put me on cheaper strips, gave me a machine 'just to try', and even though after two months I stopped ordering those strips - it seems they're pushing me into these strips by now reducing the strips for my good machine.

Does anyone have any advice?
Or know which section of NICE may have the current up to date guidelines on what is correct procedure and allowance for t1 diabetic prescription items?

Hi I went from two to four because two is not enough for 2 weeks that should not be a problem.

 

[Diakat]

Nice guidelines say type 1 needs enough strips because of insulin risks. Remind your go of this.

 

[richyb]

I get 4 though they did insist i change over to a cheap meter and strips.

 

[steve_p6]

This is your link to NICE, sections 6.10-12
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/chapter/1-Recommendations#blood-glucose-management-2

 

[noblehead]

This is your link to NICE, sections 6.10-12
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/chapter/1-Recommendations#blood-glucose-management-2

As well as, back in Feb 2013 all gp surgeries were sent a letter from the Dept of Health advising against test strip restrictions for type 1's:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa.../Safe-care-of-people-with-type-1-diabetes.pdf

 

[Colsey_]

I also had this I told my GP I am struggling with my levels as we all prob are an need 10strips a day he laughed an said he would be able to get me down to one test a day, !! after I jst told him I'm a carpenter I'd been travling to London and back for work every day carry loads of tools dangerous tools, up scaffolding ect.. Got 2 baby kids moved house 3 times in 3 yrs unreal so I told him if this carried on i would get a delivery driver job an on a uk driving licence you have to test every 2 hrs and that i have to test before every injection I have 4 a day he shut up then an gave me 8 then I moaned to diabetes section at hospital they told him of on the phone and told him to give me what I need as an individual hope ya sort it don't be bullied

 

[Hattonma]

Hi I went through a similar situation with my docs. They basically moved me onto a different meter due to cost. Being naive I went along as from my perspective if it gave the right reading who cares.

I was wrong though and struggled for over a year with it. The meter never worked in a morning as house temp too cold. However I continued.

It was only after attending dafne that they advised the meter was completely inadequate and that it was only intended for type 2.

They wrote to my gp and told them I needed to use an optimum neo and I needed x amount of strips.

Not had a problem since but it is annoying that was what action was needed to change it. If you can't get the gp to change then I would contact your consultant.

Hope that helps

 

[noblehead]

he laughed an said he would be able to get me down to one test a day,

He who laughs last..........................

 

[Juicyj]

I have just had this issue, I was told that I could complain to the Practice Manager that they will do anything to stop a complaint, before this I had sent the surgery an email, explaining how often and why I needed to test and that by law the DVLA expected me to test within 2 hours of driving, as well as when I run low or high, before exercise etc etc, and they have raised my prescription now.

So remind them again you are type 1 and entitled to as many test strips as you need to manage your condition, if they refuse then you will write a formal complaint, it should get changed then.

 

[iHs]

If I remember correctly, there is a small paragraph within a long document - The Patients Charter, which states that a GP should consult with a patient first before changing prescribed medication. This is something that many GP surgeries don't seem to realise that information is available to read from the Internet.
Personally, I would regard the bolus basal regime dangerous to use without at least 6 bg tests per days so most insulin users will need about 200 strips per month to get some degree of control.

I once found myself washing the blood out of used strips, letting them dry and trying to re using them again all because my GP practice thought that insulin was similar to tablets and that the rules for type 2 also applied to type 1. I also tried to control bg by eating a low carb diet and using the basal only 3 times per day resulting in a fairly bad hypo during the night.

 

[PurpleSky1111]

Thank you all so much for the advice
Lots of good ideas to help me go to the gp and get this sorted hopefully!

I don't have a consultant since moving counties, my new gps is in a little backwater and I don't think they see many like me!

My hba1c was very high a few weeks ago, mainly due to multiple colds and stress at work, but I suppose I could use that raised level as more ammunition to prove their 2 bottle per month quota just isn't working out!

 

[staffsmatt]

Thank you all so much for the advice
Lots of good ideas to help me go to the gp and get this sorted hopefully!

I don't have a consultant since moving counties, my new gps is in a little backwater and I don't think they see many like me!

My hba1c was very high a few weeks ago, mainly due to multiple colds and stress at work, but I suppose I could use that raised level as more ammunition to prove their 2 bottle per month quota just isn't working out!

I didn't have a consultant for about 15 years after leaving University (moving area etc...) in the end asked the GPs for something they couldn't / wouldn't deal with on their own and got a referal. wish I'd done it sooner, you'll get a lot more (hopefully!) out of a dedicated diabetes team than you will out of a GP. They tend to be fairly good at bullying GPs into stop "nickle and diming" on things like test strips as well....

 

[zed]

I used to get 2 bottles per month clearly were not enough. My GP practice seem to be making cuts, so I went to a different doctor within the practice who reluctantly gave me 4 after I had been purchasing them myself. He insisted they also pay a lot for them. Recently they rang me up and gave me a machine that was meant for type twos and then when I kicked up a fuss they changed it to a freestyle Meter and strips.

 

[LauraC27]

Glad i'm not alone in this! I have had the same problem this week.. accept they prescribed me test strips for a meter i didn't actually have! I was given a Freestyle metre in hospital at diagnosis.. have been ordering the strips for that meter for a year now.. i went to pick up my prescriptions this week and noticed the strips were for a completely different metre. I told the lady at reception this, and they said yes we are changing everyone over to these metres now to cut cost.. I told them i didn't have enough test strips for my Freestyle metre to last me until i get prescribed this 'new' metre so it was all a mess!... Anyway.. they gave me this new metre.. and whilst i understand the need for cutting cost, this metre they have given me doesn't test for ketones, it's extremely basic and for a fairly newly diagnosed type one i didn't feel this was fair. I then asked what i do about testing for ketones.. the lady at the desk said she would ask the GP and give me a call... 3 days later there has been no call. ''SIGH!''

 

[PurpleSky1111]

Glad to know I'm not alone!
As for cost - I'm not sure they realise that us not having the best care now, will eventually cost the NHS more money when all of the complications kick in for having blood sugars unchecked to a suitable standard.

 

[Gaztheoldpunk]

This seems a constant battle with gp practice's we know they have to run a tight budget thanks to the Tory government ( that's another story!) But don't they realise that the only way we can get good balance and levels is to constantly test....??

 

[PurpleSky1111]

Yeah I feel sorry for the NHS, I'm sure most of the Drs are simply following orders from those who hold the purse strings!

Anyway, an update about me - and a happy one

I called up the surgery, after writing an essay to quote about all the nice guidelines they've broken - but rather than a gp - the receptionist gave me a telephone appointment with a pharmacy technician who without question not only upped my strips to 200, but changed them to a new machine id bought myself (Dario - that plugs into my phone, and helps to calculate insulin ratio)!

When she said 'oh sure, and you need 200?' I wanted to send her a bunch of flowers!

It pays to go back and question for sure, if anyone comes across this post in a similar situation