Monitor

[Mary22]

I have just recieved a letter from my gp saying that I have to collect a bs monitor cos all patients have to use the same one is this the norm ?

 

[Natalie1974]

Not to my knowledge...sounds like they're trying to fob you off with a cheap and nasty thing in order to save some money. Out of interest do you know which one it is?

 

[paulliljeros]

A few years ago my old GP's did this, openly stating it was a cost cutting exercise within the borough and refused point blank to issue prescriptions for my original strips. I didn't like the new monitor and in protest, changed GP's.

 

[noblehead]

I have just recieved a letter from my gp saying that I have to collect a bs monitor cos all patients have to use the same one is this the norm ?

Not the norm but we are seeing more and more threads like yours where people are being to changed to meters with cheaper test strips.

If you feel as a type 1 you need to keep your present meter and changing to the one on offer may effect your diabetes control then ask your hospital diabetes team to intervene (if under one), they may write to your gp and support the continued usage of your current meter.

 

[GrantGam]

I have just recieved a letter from my gp saying that I have to collect a bs monitor cos all patients have to use the same one is this the norm ?

My clinic try to have all diabetics typically using the same monitor. It's the Glucomen LX Plus and although it's a great meter, it's very hard to convince the Dr when you want to change to an alternative meter due to personal preference, etc.

Grant

 

[rochari]

Yup, I had the same letter two weeks ago. The health board here has its staff going round all GP surgeries meeting with patients who use meters and moving them to the Glucomen. They are doing the same with needles. They made it very clear it was due to cost and they had to 'watch the budgets' and 'your prescription costs the board a lot of money'. I wasn't particularly bothered until those got brought up. I explained that I prefer the meter I use because, for me, its accurate and a good one, I test a lot and have no diabetic complications in half a century of injecting insulin and had I those complications, even for one year, I'd be costing his bl**dy health board a heck of a lot more than the price of my test strips/needles over the same period. Plus I'd made 48 years of national insurance contributions and had well and truly paid for the strips/needles he didn't want to give me. He decided not to change anything.

This is the type of thing that really gets under my skin and he pushed the wrong button. I get sick to death of the 'god syndrome' so many of them have and I've seen it get much much worse over they years. Bill