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Have you had trouble getting test strips?

Have you ever had trouble getting test strips?

  • Yes

    Votes: 96 56.1%

  • No

    Votes: 75 43.9%
  • Total voters
    171
I definitely seem to have struck lucky, I saw my GP on Tues and he went through my repeats list with me to make sure I was getting plenty of everything especially strips for sugar and ketones. He reassured me that it was mire important for me to keep an eye on things than pennypinch. He even instructed the practice nurse to hand over full boxes of syringes and needles for another medication I take instead of fiddling about with six at a time as has happened in the past. :-)

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I had a stroke of luck this week, after being refused test strips by my gp last week...I told my dsn about my trouble, and right there and then, she gave me 4 boxes. She's also written a letter to my gp, asking to increase the amount they give me, as I'm having to test at least 5 times a day. My dsn is one of a kind.


Diabetes type 1.5
Diagnosed September 2011
Currently on basal insulin
 
I guess I am fortunate as my doc gives me 2X50 contour test strips monthly. The only problem iv got is I have now got 10 sealed/unused tubs of them. Anyone got any advise what too do with surplus?
 
I've got a small surplus too - how long after the limit date on the box can you use them? Bayer Contour that is. I would like to use them up myself as I don't think anyone needs/wants them here.
 
another12 said:
I guess I am fortunate as my doc gives me 2X50 contour test strips monthly. The only problem iv got is I have now got 10 sealed/unused tubs of them. Anyone got any advise what too do with surplus?
Click to expand...


I too have a small stash. I'm fully expecting my practice to start making economies - the NHS/Government are withdrawing the extra funding that keeps small rural practices going. My 3 GPs run two surgeries and cover an enormous distance for relatively few patients. It seems that "those who know" are trying to centralise services into larger practices. I may have to drive 20+ miles to see a doctor! :roll:

another12, if you have some to spare why not give them away on here? I'm sure people who don't get them on prescription would be delighted to have some for the cost of post and packaging.

Viv 8)
 
That's part of the problem people getting the scripts from doctors then not using what they get that's just wasting tax payers money


Sent from the [url=http://www.diabetes.co.u
 
hiya am type 2 and have no chance of getting strips.but you am totally shocked ,with you haveing a baby ! I whould have thought its a must go to your G.P and shout so everyone can hear if no one listens email the health minister.I emailed the D.O.H.S.S.over my C.SA and receieved a bulk some of 14,000 pound and got a letter telling me that i had been let down by the goverment so go and YELL god i wish i was with you today good luck !

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
mark5745 said:
That's part of the problem people getting the scripts from doctors then not using what they get that's just wasting tax payers money


Sent from the

As a taxpayer - on my State Pension! - I too believe in not wasting taxpayers' money. Rest assured, Mark, that as soon as I am confident about the state of play re our Practice funding I will be using up my strips. I have already reduced my original 50 strips a month repeat prescription to 50 strips every two months because I have very good control, but I do still need to do a full day's testing at intervals to maintain that control.

I certainly can't afford - on that same State Pension - to buy the test strips that I need. And why should I? I have worked and paid my National Insurance for 43 years, from the age of 17, and I don't cost the NHS much, overall. I certainly wouldn't dream of wasting precious resources. If I have any full boxes of strips left when I die I'll get my executrix to advertise them on here, rather than give them back to the practice to be incinerated. :wink:

Viv 8)
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My last two trips to the chemist have resulted in a delay in getting a new accu-chek cassette replacement. 1st time i was told they had been having problems with suppliers and now i had to chase round 3 other chemists until i got a new one. They advised me they had reached their quota also and the supplier had been having problems. Appears the local services cant keep up with demand. Very unamused.

Carrickfergus area in NI
 
another12 said:
I guess I am fortunate as my doc gives me 2X50 contour test strips monthly. The only problem iv got is I have now got 10 sealed/unused tubs of them. Anyone got any advise what too do with surplus?
Click to expand...

I certainly would be interested, and would pay the postage :thumbup:
 
The NHS spends an awful lot of money on test strips. The value of 10 x 50 Contour test strips is over £100, so the strips should be returned to the pharmacy for re-using and you need to advise your GP you don't need as many as you are prescribed.

How many more people out there are hoarding test strips?

My diabetes has never been well controlled and I have learnt today that I am now suffering from background retinopathy. With my previous GP, I was prescribed Life scan one touch test strips which fitted a variety of different meters that I had bought or been supplied with, so I had different meters in different places, one in the car, one at work, one at home and usually one in my handbag. This worked well for me and because the software for downloading accepted readings from al the meters I could be fairly sure of getting a comprehensive picture of my results. My GP wasn't particularly interested as I couldn't record insulin intake or carbohydrate so the records were really just for me.

When I moved and joined a new practice, I was given the meter of choice, which again only recorded BG results, and I wasn't given the data cable or software to download the readings, nor was I ever asked to download these at the surgery.

I have now been sent a free Contour next USB meter, which allows me to record BG results, Insulin intake and carbohydrate intake, so with that and the Carbs and Cals app on my iphone, I am now getting some useful data. Despite this, the local PCT does not support the provision of the test strips for this meter, so I am buying my own at a cost of rrp £27, or buying from ebay at a lesser cost. Incidentally it is a criminal offence to sell NHS products privately, so all those people I have bought from are breaking the law.

So.....where does this leave me. Frustrated that the NHS will not give me the means to monitor my diabetes with a meter that works for me, cross that the 'one size fits all' mentality treats me like an idiot who can't assess the value of the technology for myself and make a reasoned choice about what would suit me best, despite many years evidence that my diabetes need vigilant monitoring in order to reach the proscribed HbA1C levels, cholesterol and blood pressure readings required by the NHS and rigidly enforced by my GP, puzzled that the ability to download readings is not used more widely by the clinicians who are treating my diabetes, and generally feeling that the NHS has not helped me very much at all.

Any comments?
 
I may not be very popular but I've always thought it crazy the NHS doesn't standardise things, choose one meter and one make of test strips. They would save millions over the years. To have to deal with so many different meters and companies is crazy. It's just a waste of money. I'd rather see us all get the same meter and maybe we could see a reduction in restrictions that some are seeing. I had a medical recently and I had to give the doctor my meter. He had no clue how to check results. He had never seen one before. As for Ebay, I agree it's against the law to sell NHS products but it must be the same i you knowingly purchase them !
Mo


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
KatharineShaw said:
The NHS spends an awful lot of money on test strips. The value of 10 x 50 Contour test strips is over £100,
Click to expand...
£15.11 per 50 = £151.10
KatharineShaw said:
so the strips should be returned to the pharmacy for re-using and you need to advise your GP you don't need as many as you are prescribed.
Click to expand...
They Don't re-use, They just Bin em!But agree on getting a smaller prescription
KatharineShaw said:
How many more people out there are hoarding test strips?
Click to expand...
Dunno!
KatharineShaw said:
My diabetes has never been well controlled and I have learnt today that I am now suffering from background retinopathy. With my previous GP, I was prescribed Life scan one touch test strips which fitted a variety of different meters that I had bought or been supplied with, so I had different meters in different places, one in the car, one at work, one at home and usually one in my handbag. This worked well for me and because the software for downloading accepted readings from al the meters I could be fairly sure of getting a comprehensive picture of my results. My GP wasn't particularly interested as I couldn't record insulin intake or carbohydrate so the records were really just for me.

When I moved and joined a new practice, I was given the meter of choice, which again only recorded BG results, and I wasn't given the data cable or software to download the readings, nor was I ever asked to download these at the surgery.

I have now been sent a free Contour next USB meter, which allows me to record BG results, Insulin intake and carbohydrate intake, so with that and the Carbs and Cals app on my iphone, I am now getting some useful data. Despite this, the local PCT does not support the provision of the test strips for this meter, so I am buying my own at a cost of rrp £27, or buying from ebay at a lesser cost. Incidentally it is a criminal offence to sell NHS products privately, so all those people I have bought from are breaking the law.
Click to expand...
Granted that selling NHS products is illegal, but strips CAN be bought legally AND at a price well below the rrp!(Often from the manufacturers)
So unles you are certain of your strip's past you have committed slander. You said they ALL had broken the law!

KatharineShaw said:
So.....where does this leave me. Frustrated that the NHS will not give me the means to monitor my diabetes with a meter that works for me, cross that the 'one size fits all' mentality treats me like an idiot who can't assess the value of the technology for myself and make a reasoned choice about what would suit me best, despite many years evidence that my diabetes need vigilant monitoring in order to reach the proscribed HbA1C levels, cholesterol and blood pressure readings required by the NHS and rigidly enforced by my GP, puzzled that the ability to download readings is not used more widely by the clinicians who are treating my diabetes, and generally feeling that the NHS has not helped me very much at all.

Any comments?
Click to expand...
I can commiserate with you over your frustration. The attitude of of a lot of HCPs IMHO is a throwback to the old way of treating docs as gods and treating their utterances as divine scripture! I too have found that most docs have neither the time or inclination to understand the technology of modern blood testing devices/software :roll:
 
lexilox said:
Only once, it was a good while ago, they got a strongly worded letter from me about the cost of complications to the NHS if I couldn't test enough to keep good control and that put an end to it. No problems since. I use an average of 220 strips a month. From what others have said on the forums I'm one of a lucky few.
Click to expand...

Hi My husband has just come from his prescription review and found himself in a similar position. He has been cut back to 1 box (50 strips) a month. He currently test 3/4 times a day! I am going to word an email to send to the practice manager on Monday. I wonder if you would be happy to share what you put in your letter? I can send me email if you are? Many thanks
 
I am nearly 16 yrs post renal transplant, since when I have been diabetic & on insulin, I have always tested 2-3 3-4 times a day according to how things are going. I have now been limited to 50 per month by the doctor, diabetic clinic says he can't do that he says he can. Where does that leave me, ok I can test twice a day, but I am loosing a bit of weight & having a few hypo troubles so I go through strips quite quickly. I saw a diabetic nurse recently, but had not seen anyone for 4 yrs previously, because post transplant onset Diabetes is classed as type 2.
 
Yes. My local Cloisters medical practice discontinued all Type 2 test-strips some time ago. Their reason is that Type 2 patients will get worried if they have high readings. The practice now 'blanks' any request for a change.
 
I am type 2 diabetic and have been for 10 years, currently taking 3 metformin 500mg per day, with these tablets and still following a reasonable diet I am able to keep my Hba1c to around 6.5. This has been achieved with the use of strips to check my eating habits particularly when on holiday( 3months a year approximately as I am retired).My GP practice state that because I am on metformin I do not require these strips, I protest this each time and say even NICE say that type 2 diabetics should receive strips I am then usually supplied some which I use mostly when I am changing my habits eg. special occasions or going on holiday. I also supplement the ones received from the GP with ones bought privately from the chemist. If one googles the reasons for this attitude on strips the medical profession seems split down the middle on this dictat and appear short sighted on how good control can be obtained by co-operation with your diabetic team and yourself in the use of the strips and is beneficial to both the patient and the NHS (saving the NHS money on extended treatment over the long term).
 
B0b CC said:
Yes. My local Cloisters medical practice discontinued all Type 2 test-strips some time ago. .
Click to expand...

that cannot be true - all T2s on insulin (40% of us ) are guaranteed strips as are all those on gliclazide.

I think you mean all T2s on d&e and/or metformin only
 
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