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Most medications are sensibly restricted to monthly amounts.
It sounds daft that these large numbers of Libre sensors can be prescribed per person.
Who is going to dob in the over-prescribers??
And it raises the risk of scalping in the future. That will be the pits if it happens.
 
Is the number of days being mixed up with the number of sensors, as many drugs are prescribed in units of days?
 
kitedoc said:
And it raises the risk of scalping in the future. That will be the pits if it happens.
Click to expand...

Well, I can pretty well guarantee that 24 sensors wouldn't be for just one person, just because of the expiry issue.

Looks like they are selling on ebay for between 35 and 50 pounds, so I think scalping is probably alive and well.
 
I would have thought scalping of prescription items would be illegal?
Time for the police and the NHS and GMC to step in. ??
And the prescribers could be seen as accomplices !!
 
kitedoc said:
I would have thought scalping of prescription items would be illegal?
Time for the police and the NHS and GMC to step in. ??
And the prescribers could be seen as accomplices !!
Click to expand...

An issue is that they're not restricted to prescription. Although they can be prescribed, plenty of UK diabetics (T1 and T2) self fund. If I had lived in the UK when I became allergic to the libre, I might well have been tempted to onsell my now useless self funded sensors. Plus Abbott's supply shortage has made it very difficult for some self funders to get sensors at all. (And up to now, the criteria for funding has been entirely arbitrary, more of a postcode lottery than a judgement of clinical need).

So it may hard to prove that someone is on selling their prescription sensors - at least if they are careful. But I agree, hard to think that any doctor wouldn't realise that 24 sensors is overkill. Something very strange going on if that story is true. (Parent with triplet T1 children???? )
 
Or someone is experimenting to see how different the readings are at the same time in 4 limbs !!
 
Here in the UK I have a prescription for libre. The script is for 6 months supply therefore 12 boxes. To get a replacement script I have to see my Diabetes Consultant as my GP is not allowed to issue scripts for libre.
 
I, too was experiencing issues in trying to buy sensors from Asda about 1.5 weeks ago. I went 5-6 days without it and asda took forever to get stock. 24 sensors does sounds excessive and some are us generally need them. I'd like to know who is opening a black market sale.
 
I found asking all of my local pharmacys helped, it took a while but Tesco where able to help me better than asda (for less too!) Shame about the waiting but worth it.
 
24!! I get prescribed 6 at a time through my diabetes team at the hospital and I thought that was very generous!
 
Why "so-called"? The policy HAS changed to try to level the playing field and gradually expand free access. It feels like a trial period and given the amount of cost diabetics already place on the NHS and given the high cost of Libre sensors they surely won't be giving them away like confetti. I suspect to get the funding, you will firstly have to satisfy the necessary quota from the 10 criteria that were published recently AND secondly go through some personal effort with both your consultant and GP to get them in place. I satisfy 3 of the first 6 main criteria and have initiated discussions with my hospital consultant and GP. It seems that initially the prescriptions will have to come from the approval of the consultant and that if you have had the libre for some time, have self funded and are prepared to upload you data so that they can see how you have been progressing as well as demonstrate understanding of the libre via the Abbott Academy mini course and exam you should get them on prescription in due course. A
 
Nonesense. I have self funded for the last three years have proved beyond doubt to all concerned that my diabetese has never been better controlled but my consultant has said I I stand no chance of getting them on the NHS because I am so well controlled. I have involved my M.P. the secretary of state for Health and even the Prime Minister. I suspect that what will happen is that those who have been funded via the NHS without meeting the criteria will have their Libre's refused.
 
ackkers said:
Why "so-called"? The policy HAS changed to try to level the playing field and gradually expand free access.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, whilst the same criteria have been rolled out across England, the interpretation and implementation of this is not consistent.
It sounds as if your CCG has got their act together but I know mine has not.
I have spoken to two DSNs - one told me I may qualify because of my hypo awareness has degraded over time and the other said I may only qualify if I can prove that I finger prick test more than 8 times a day. The latter believes the CCG are only interested in saving money. There has been no mention of any proof I can provide about using self-funded Libre.
Earlier this week, I submitted my finger prick readings for the last month where I prove I test an average of 8.7 times a day and I am now waiting to hear from the consultant.
In March (before levelling the playing field), I was told my CCG was funding some Libre but they weren't funding the resources required to administer the prescriptions. This seems to be more complex than usual because GPs are not able to prescribe Libre: it has to be done from by the hospital diabetes team who is already overworked.
 
Criteria 5: "Previous self-funders of Flash Glucose Monitors with Type 1 diabetes where those with clinical responsibility for their diabetes care are satisfied that their clinical history suggests that they would have satisfied one or more of these criteria prior to them commencing use of Flash Glucose Monitoring had these criteria been in place prior to April 2019 AND has shown improvement in HbA1c since self funding. "

I suggest this is the one you need to pursue. As I said above this feels like a trial period. I think persistence will be required for some. The PM, Sec of State and MP probably have other bigger issues on their plates right now!
 
Straight from my consultant - only a consultant can prescribe the electronic handset bit, but the consumables, I.e. sensors, are meant to be prescribed by your GP. He did say that some GPs were more helpful than others, and he's such a polite guy I think he means some GPs have told him to get lost, no way.
 
Definitely different in my area - through a trial, I already have a reader but I still need the consultant to prescribe sensors.
To be honest, I would have little confidence my GP knows more than how to spell "diabetes".
 
The truth of the matter is Partha Kar will be very interested to know of any area that is dragging their heels, if you fit any of the criteria. It is his dedication that has moved things on.
And I’m sorry @ackkers but I hate to hear that as a diabetic I am costing the NHS lots of money. I work my butt off to keep healthy, always worked until retirement and paid my taxes and national insurance. I haven’t been a drain on the state by sitting on a street corner taking spice, needing ambulances when I collapse and dole money to finance it. So I will not feel guilty for wanting a Libre on prescription instead of financing myself as I have been doing. Incidentally so I could keep fit and cost the NHS less money.
 
I was not inferring diabetics are spongers. I was simply stating there are considerable demands on the national budget and within the health budget and that allocating fresh medicines or treatments has to be considered in the round. Diabetes consumes over 10% of the NHS budget and it's rising. I also pay a lot of tax and NI. Personally I think the savings in the long term from more diabetics having better control due to free access to libres or the like will be massive. Having personally worked with Matt Hancock in the past and knowing how smart a person he is I'm sure he is persuaded of the short term costs versus long term savings debate. The fact remains diabetes costs the NHS at least £1.5mn per hour and when i read of people being able to order 10 or 20 libres from the NHS and I see the quantities of them (and other medical supplies) being sold on ebay I hope that the NHS will have a very tight rein on libres being used for legitimate purposes and not sold for personal gain.
 

Yes, it would be reasonable that if you're prescribed libre, they're able to check you're using it - very easy at a 3 month review.

The 1.5 million quid/hour cost isn't that helpful though - the drugs cost, which I suspect includes test strips and libres, is less than 10% of that. Since we're in the T1D area, we get down to 3% - and suddenly it doesn't look as bad as all that. And do we have any evidence that there is a significant problem of people flogging NHS-provided libres?
 
My take on this is I have been refused the Libre because I am well controlled (apparently) My control over the last 37 years (while in full time employment paying all my taxes & NI contributions ) has been more down than up & at the moment I am chasing my figures after virtually every finger prick - either eating or injecting up to 10 times a day. I regularly have to check up to 10 times a day but this is STILL not sufficient to warrant prescription of the Libre according to my GP or specialist. The solution I am contemplating is to self fund the Libre (when I can afford to) & then sell on the Accu-Chek cassettes that I won't need during the times I am on the Libre. I have no issues with this (scalping as its been described) & will openly display my name & address on the adverts & wait for the repercussions with relish, as a day in court would allow me to blow the lid off this post code discrimination that a lot of us are suffering.
 
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