How much do different test strips cost the nhs?

[tigger]

I posted here recently about accu-chek not notifying me about the change of strips from whole blood to plasma (which I luckily discovered through the IDDT magazine).

I had a conversation with accu-chek following a rather irate email to them in which they informed me that they had informed all "medical practices" and that they had millions of customers and could not inform them all personally. When I pointed out that they had no difficulty emailing me about new products and surely they could manage a similar one on a warning which has a huge impact on my health, they said they would "take my comments on board". Since I was talking to an American I don't think he realised that I actually have complete choice over which strip I use as opposed to the poor Americans who are made to use what their insurance deems best.

My hospital has also not informed me of this change and last summer I was definitely told that I wasn't meant to drive without eating below 5 by a diabetic consultant and that figure must have been in whole blood and not plasma. Also another registrar spent 5 minutes explaining the change in hbA1c (which still hasn't come in) but no one has mentioned this. So it does not seem that this great change has quite made it through 2 different and very good London hospitals. More than that this change reminds me too vividly of how my insulin was changed from animal to human in 1987 without any information whatsoever and a complete refusal to acknowledge that it might be at fault for the subsequent comas. It's nice to know that the attitude to patients from drugs companies hasn't changed in the slightest.

I would therefore like to show that the patient really is the consumer and change my strips to something else. I don't want to change from the lancets as I really like their 6 drum version but I wondered if anyone knew how much the NHS got charged for the different strips?

If there is a cheaper one than Accu-chek/Aviva I am definitely prepared to assist the NHS (providing they are not really difficult to use).

All comments gratefully received and if anyone has similar experiences and would like to join my unofficial campaign you are very welcome to!

 

[hanadr]

I( buy my own strips, but I like the new style ones for my Freestyle Lite. I haven't had a wasted one since They changed.
I tried to find the prices, but can't.

 

[tigger]

Thanks for the response.

Maybe I'll see if I can find a dr in real life to tell me the difference.

 

[hanadr]

Best buy test strips

For those who buy their own and who haven't found out yet;
DON'T buy your test strips at a retail pharmacy. All brands seem to cost around £25 for a pack of 50.
Much cheaper and totally reliable are the meter supplier companies. I have a Freestyle Lite and buy from Abbott Diabetes Care, whose service is exemplary. Very fast and P&P free. a little over half retail price.
Abbott also have excellent customer care. They keep names on a database,called "Friends for Life" I think. Just phone and pay by card. the order arrives in about 2 days by first class post.
A little less safe is eBay. You need to check out the seller carefully and often have to compete for the best bargains. I have had good buys this way, but was angry to find some I bought had dispensary labels torn off.
Hana

 

[cugila]

You don't need to see your Doc.....we just need a little time to get you the information....

Here are the nett prices of all the currently listed test strips in the BNF59 2010 issue. Not all are available on prescription so you would need to check with your Pharmacist and/or your GP that they will actually prescribe them. Some practices apparently restrict you to certain brands..........?

Accu-Chek® Active(1) Blood glucose Active® 50-strip pack = £14.76
Accu-Chek® Advantage(1) Blood glucose Advantage Plus® 50-strip pack = £14.76
Accu-Chek® Aviva Blood glucose £14.94 Aviva® 50-strip pack = £14.49
Accu-Chek® Compact(1) Blood glucose Compact® 3 × 17-strip pack = £14.88
Accu-Chek® Compact Plus Blood glucose £14.94 Compact® 3 × 17-strip pack = £14.88
Accutrend®(1) Blood glucose BM-Accutest® 50-strip pack = £14.31
Ascensia Breeze®(1) Blood glucose Ascensia® Autodisc 5 × 10-disc pack = £14.62
Ascensia Esprit® 2(1) Blood glucose Ascensia® Autodisc 5 × 10-disc pack = £14.62
Breeze 2® Blood glucose £14.34 Breeze 2® 5 × 10-disc pack = £14.34
Contour® Blood glucose £10.80 Contour® Formerly Ascensia® Microfill 50-strip pack = £14.74
FreeStyle®(1) Blood glucose FreeStyle® 50-strip pack = £14.62
FreeStyle Freedom®(1) Blood glucose FreeStyle® 50-strip pack = £14.62
FreeStyle Freedom Lite® Blood glucose £11.49 FreeStyle Lite® 50-strip pack = £14.62
FreeStyle Lite® Blood glucose £14.94 FreeStyle Lite® 50-strip pack = £14.62
FreeStyle Mini®(1) Blood glucose FreeStyle® 50-strip pack = £14.62
GlucoMen® Glycó(1) Blood glucose GlucoMen® 50-strip pack = £13.67
GlucoMen® LX Blood glucose £14.94 GlucoMen® LX 50-strip pack = £14.33
GlucoMen® PC(1) Blood glucose GlucoMen® 50-strip pack = £13.67
GlucoMen® Visio Blood glucose £10.34 GlucoMen® Visio Sensor 50-strip pack = £14.53
Glucotrend®(1) Blood glucose Active® 50-strip pack = £14.76
Hypoguard® Supreme Extra Blood glucose £45.00 Hypoguard® Supreme 50-strip pack = £12.00
Hypoguard® Supreme Plus Blood glucose £35.00 Hypoguard® Supreme 50-strip pack = £12.00
MediSense® Precision QID(1) Blood glucose MediSense G2® 50-strip pack = £13.67 1.1–33.3
One Touch® II(1) Blood glucose One Touch® 50-strip pack = £14.37
One Touch® Basic(1) Blood glucose One Touch® 50-strip pack = £14.37
One Touch® Profile(1) Blood glucose One Touch® 50-strip pack = £14.37
One Touch Ultra®(1) Blood glucose One Touch Ultra® 50-strip pack = £14.53
One Touch Ultra 2® Blood glucose £25.98 One Touch Ultra® 50-strip pack = £14.53
One Touch UltraEasy® Blood glucose £25.98 One Touch Ultra® 50-strip pack = £14.53
One Touch UltraSmart®(2) Blood glucose One Touch Ultra® 50-strip pack = £14.53
One Touch® Vita(2) Blood glucose One Touch® Vita 50-strip pack = £14.53
Optium®(1) Blood ketones Optium® β-ketone 10-strip pack = £19.55
Optium Xceed® Blood glucose £17.24 Optium Plus®
Formerly Medisense® Optium Plus 50-strip pack = £14.53
Blood ketones Optium® β-ketone 10-strip pack = £19.55
PocketScan®(1) Blood glucose PocketScan® 50-strip pack = £14.19
Prestige® Blood glucose £8.62 Prestige® 50-strip pack = £14.51
TRUEone® Blood glucose n/a All-in-one test strips and meter 50-strip pack with meter = £14.36
TRUETrack® Blood glucose £8.62 TRUETrack® 50-strip pack = £14.25
WaveSense Jazz® Blood glucose £24.99 WaveSense Jazz® 50-strip pack = £14.45

Ken

 

[tigger]

Wow! That's brilliant! Thank you so much for such a fast response.

Would you recommend any of those particularly? The reason I like aviva is it is so easy to calibrate and use. I didn't find onetouch very easy to calibrate with the need to press lots of buttons and am also generally keen on compact models.

 

[cugila]

TBH.....I've never really found any difficulty to calibrate at all. Personally I use the Lifescan OneTouch UltraSamrt and also the UltraEasy as they both use the same strips. Saves messing around. Simple to operate and code/calibrate. The UltraSmart is really aimed at Insulin users, got both free from Lifesacn direct.

I have also used the Bayer Contour Breeze 2 which has the strips in a ten disc dispenser so cuts down on carrying too much stuff around. No problems with that either.

I too prefer the Accu-Chek multiclix lancet device as it i probably one of the best around as it is virtually 'pain' free.....although I have never had any pain from lancing devices. I change the drum once or twice weekly depending on how often I use it.

It's really down to what suits YOU best. For me, the two I quoted are perfect.

Ken

 

[foxglove]

Hi Cugila, I am amazed at the prices you quote as the last time I bought from Abbott my Freedom Lite strips were only a few bob cheaper and certainly not the price you state.
Feel very cheated! :?

 

[cugila]

Hi Cugila, I am amazed at the prices you quote as the last time I bought from Abbott my Freedom Lite strips were only a few bob cheaper and certainly not the price you state.
Feel very cheated! :?

The prices I quoted are nett prices (wholesale) not retail prices. They are what the NHS says it pays for them. If you buy.... say from a Pharmacy they will be dearer. You just don't have to pay any VAT on them as a Diabetic.

i would presume Abbot are giving their customers a small discount for dealing direct with them ? Not all manufacturers are so amenable.

Ken

 

[noblehead]

I use the Accu-Chek Aviva test strips in my meter (nano) and am pleasantly surprised that the net price the NHS paid for the strips is £14.94, I always assumed it was around £20-25. As I use 4x50 strips every 4 weeks, I don't feel quite as bad putting my repeat prescription in now.

Still to bl...y expensive just the same! :roll:

Nigel

 

[anniep]

The thing that amazed me reading those test strip prices, was actully how similar they are. It is almost as is the manufacturers have got together and found a price that they can sell their strips to the NHS for.

 

[cugila]

The thing that amazed me reading those test strip prices, was actully how similar they are. It is almost as is the manufacturers have got together and found a price that they can sell their strips to the NHS for.

Now there's a thing..........surely they wouldn't ........would they ? ........ :wink: :twisted:

Ken

 

[hanadr]

When I buy from Abbott
I pay about the price you quote for BNF.[Sorry bought several months last time and can't remember exactly.]
I feel I'm getting a good deal.
Hana

 

[Sue Morton]

I've just checked on Bayer's site for the price of the testing strips and they are £23 odd so even they are charging double the retail price listed above!!!!

My 3month visit to the DN is now almost a 5month visit what should have been 10 Aug is now 23 September so I have made an appointment to visit the doctor the next day hoping that my doctor will see that I am taking this serious and trying very hard to keep it under control via diet and the metformin 2x500mg as the DN wanted to increase my tablets to 3 a day but it was my 1st test with her and it had gone down from 13 (which the doctor had done when it was found my BS was high and how I became diagnosed as Diabetic) and then the with the DN it was down to 9.8 so I am hoping if its gone down that she may consider giving me the test strips on presceription.

Why o why are we having this difficulty with test strips isn't it bad enough that we have to deal with diabetics let alone all this. I have just retired and need to be careful now on what i spend so the cost of these test strips is a lot of money.

Sue :roll: