Have you had trouble getting test strips?

Well done elviscole! those BG readings are excellent

I'm afraid I've let a few more carbs creep into my diet and I'm usually in the 5s these days. If it ever gets a bit warmer life will get easier.

Do you keep a record of your readings? It might be worth taking a list of them with you next time you see the nurse, so you have some evidence to back you up.

Viv 8)

don't worry Viv, i will be taking my meter with me when i go to see the nurse as she probably wont believe me,
when i stopped taking the tolbutamide, the bg started to go into the high 5's, low 6's, so started taking them again and back down to the 4's

I never had a problem in RCT in Wales - once I pointed out the maths to them. I was under instructions to test twice a day. That's 60 strips a month on average. Yet the test strips come in boxes of 50 so one was clearly insufficient. There was no argument and I got my two boxes a month.

I'm type 2, as is my sister in law, and we've had no issues at all with test strips and prescriptions. My pharmacist even did the paperwork for my exemption certificate :grin:

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I contacted Dr Rowan Hillson, who is the National Clinical Director for DIabetes, about Type 2s and test strips, and got the following as a reply:

http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/search_results/index.php?search=self+monitoring+of+blood+glucose


The paper you are looking for is: Self monitoring of blood glucose non insulin type 2 diabetes

This might be of some use in persuading an HCP - on the other hand it might not! It seems to me that it is all very well saying people should be allowed to self-monitor if they find it useful - how are they going to find out if it is useful if they are told not to do it?

It seems the ball is squarely back in the HCPs' court - I think that even the people who don't take control of their diabetes could be encouraged to do so by the right NHS approach.

Viv 8)

Viv, after seeing a GP who didn't know me and refused me strips, I finally got to see my usual GP (he's very popular!) and he prescribed me test strips.

He did say that knowing me so well (over years and years), he was confident that knowing my readings would motivate me to keep to a lifestyle change over a longer period of time, but he also said that's not true of all people, and that for some people, knowing what their levels are can make them feel like it's not worth bothering trying to control them.

I don't doubt his opinion, experience and expertise. It's an interesting thought, but I still wish doctor's wouldn't assume one over the other without listening to the patient, especially when they don't know the patient very well or at all.

Frances x

Being type 2 and living in Spain you are only allowed one perscription a year. The guidelines are to test just once a week. To buy them at the chemist is 45 Euros a pot of 50.

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Frances, thank goodness for your doctor and thank goodness for one who doesn't use "one-size-fits-all", but treats the individual. And has taken the trouble to know you.

I think I agree with him that not everybody is suited to self-monitoring of BGs; but how are we to know which is which if we are not educated in the alternatives at diagnosis? I think everyone should be allowed to try for at least 3 months; then if they don't like it, fine, hand the care over to the HCPs. But in that case the monitoring should be more than once per year - IMHO.

I replied to Dr Hillson with almost those exact words.

I think we just have to keep on trying. Maybe the more of us who test, get good results and make sure our HCPs know why, will slowly be able to change attitudes. But we need better education for HCPs too!

Viv 8)

(feeling very guilty after a cheese & lettuce sandwich ).

Viv, I agree with you completely: everyone should be given the option. Some may even choose not to. The choice is the important thing.

I assumed the reluctance to prescribe was down to cost, and we talked about that, but my GP said it was negligible and a drop in the ocean in terms of the full budget and the things that it finances. Then again, he has taken the time to know me, over years and years, so he may know it's not good for me to worry about money

Frances x

Not as such, however My meter was changed from the Accuchek aviva to the Wavesense Jazz as a cost cutting exercise, and what a load of rubbish it is. Poorly made , cheap feel and very lightweight.
However on the bright side Ive just renewed my 3 yr driving licence which comes with guidence notes stating that I must carry my meter with me when driving, so Ive acquired an Accuchek mobile to put in the car and the GP accepted the DVLA letter and heyho Im on repeat prescription for Mobile test cartridges.

On the subject of Roche Accuchek, their meters come with a 3 yr guarantee , really sturdily made and a superb cusstomer service.
Cant praise them high enough. : :thumbup:

Just recently diagnosed with diabetes and have spent the last few weeks backwards and forwards to the docs for various blood tests and the likes
After about three weeks and various docs I was asked what my levels were a had I been keeping a check on them I then asked how I was meant to do that as no other Doc had mentioned it
An appointment was then made for me to see the nurse who then gave me a monitor and shown me how to use it . I was then told to try it out for a week and if I didn't like it to tell her at my next appointment and she would give me a different one

Not liking the one I was given told her at the next appointment was then asked if there was any other I liked and I mentioned the Accu chek mobile a quick phone call to Accu chek from her and I was told that one would be sent out in the next couple of days then given a prescription for the lancets and the test cassettes which come in two to a box giving 100 tests

At no time was it ever mentioned that there would be a problem getting a repeat prescription

Another trip to the Docs next Monday so suppose better see how the land lies for future prescriptions after reading about them on here

No problems so far. My daughter's prescription is for a very generous 400 glucose test strips (also 40 ketone test strips). It started with 200, but I asked for more, thinking they would give me 300 or so. They doubled it. Great for me as it means I don't have to travel to the surgery every 3-4 weeks as I would have done with 200 strips. I really feel for type 2s who seem to have to either get by with 50 or 100 strips per month, or even buy the strips themselves. Really stupid in my opinion as it will surely be cheaper for the NHS to avoid diabetes complications. I don't see how you can have good control by not testing, or only 3 times a day.

YES YES YES!!!

Type 1 since Nov 1996.

I have just called to check if my prescription was ready to collect (which I ordered Tuesday) and what items I had been prescribed (my receptionists obviously have hearing defects as I never seem to get what it is I am asking for and on my last 3 prescriptions they put old items on)!

The receptionist told me that my insulin was on my repeat but not my glucose testing strips. I told her I ordered them at the same time and this was the first item I requested when I left the message on their repeat script answer machine.

She then told me that as my last prescription was on 12th Feb (it was actually ordered 3 days prior but AGAIN they put the wrong item on the prescritpion which meant I had to wait for them to issue me another!!) and that I was not allowed another set of strips as I was OVER USING BY 300% and that the practices guidlines state that I am not entitled to any more as I have used them too quickly!!!!!


Needless to say I told her that as a type 1 who has been put on an insulin pump in the last 2 months that the 100 stips only last me 10-14 days as I also drive a lot and visit the gym 3-4 times a week.
She told me that I was overtesting and that I would need to cut down on my usage and make an appointment to see the nurse(who at my practice has very little knowledge of type 1 and was extremely patroniosing the last visit I had to see her a few years back)!

I told her that if I wanted to test my sugars hourly then they would only last 4 days and that it is entirely down to my own management how many times I test. I test roughly 7-10 times a day.

She told me that there was nothing she could do and would not order me another set of strips until I had a review with the surgery on a face to face basis.

I asked her if a doctor, who I have seen on several occasions at the surgery and has some knowledge of my diabetes and type 1 in general, could call me to discuss this as it would be a waste of time for me to take time off work just to come in when this could be easily dicussed by phone and she told me that she could not guarantee this.

When I advised her I had a few strips left which would not last past the weekend she said 'you need to discuss this with the GP then'. When asked if she would get him to call me today as I needed the script before tomorrow evening, so I am not left without strips for the weekend, she said 'i will message him but cant make any promises'!

I'm finding my patience (no pun intended) wearing really thin when it comes to dealing with the receptionists at my surgery and it seems that this is a wider problem when it comes to ordering testing strips!

Rant over!! LOL :lol: :lol:

Hopefully I will hear from my GP today and I will without a doubt tell him exactly what I think!!!!!

Hi Jennie,

You might like to quote from this letter from Dept Health which was sent to G.P's and Pharmacists and is dated 4th. February 2013.
https://www.wp.dh.gov.uk/publications/f ... abetes.pdf

I have never had problems getting strips, or even changing types when better ones come along. I was told by the community team that if ever I have a problem, to clarify she said, 1) I am entitled to as many as I need, not how many GP thinks. If he ever argues tell him that DAPHNE requires a minimum of 4 tests a day, and show them your DVLA letter outlining the tests needed to drive. 2) there is no list of "banned" meters, if its approved it's approved and if it suits you, rather than the practice administrator that is the one you are entitled to use. If the GP still doesn't budge get in touch with your community team, and get them to intercede, (apparently mine are dead scary towards non cooperative GPs)

My brother in law who lives across other side of the country to me, liked convenience and ease of my Accu-check mobile, and got hold of one but was told by his GP that it wasnt approved and he couldnt have the strips, I told my scary sister the above and she took it upon herself to confront the GP with the facts, and the threat of a formal complaint and a letter to the press, result he admitted she was correct, and it was the administrators telling him to cut costs, result his choice of meter and as many strips as he needed. (mind you she is scary!)

Been back to Docs today and voiced my concerns at what has been put on here and was told there would be no problems getting the cartridges for my tester and they are now on a repeat prescription for me also said she cant understand why others are having problems getting them

I am type 2 on metformin and have been refused strips and test kit its poo, How can we help our selves but relying on 2 tests a year?! I just don't get the NHS in the UK

Even though my GP is the diabetes specialist at a large health centre, when I returned from Dafne training he thought I would only need to test BG several times a day to start with, then after that I would need to do it less as I would be able to just know/feel what level I was! Think more GPs need to go on the full week Dafne course.

A quick very quick search on the internet shows that approximately 2.5 million people in the U/K have some form of diabetes I wonder how the powers to be would feel if all these people got together and threatened not to vote for the governing party if this carries on

I'm sure in this day and age of computer technology it wouldn't be hard to spread the word

after all with these new e petitions it would only take a small percentage of people to sign a petition to get it debated in parliament

I'm sure someone better at words could take a few minutes out to sort one out

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/check

I have problems all the times so having to go out and buy them as my doctors say they cost too much


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