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PCT weasels

H

hanadr

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As I postedd recently, I referred my PCT tp the report on prescribing test strips.
This is the answer I got back

..Dear Mrs Rous,



Further to my email below, I have received feedback from our Specialist Pharmacist for Commissioning. Please see his comments below;



“Our policy currently allows prescribing of 1-2 boxes of test strips for patients with stable type 2 diabetes and more frequently for patients with unstable type 2 diabetes, this equates to testing once or twice a week in the former and up to three times a day in the latter instance.



The report that the patient mentions is interesting although does not support their case. Were the PCT to adopt this policy it would likely reduce the number of test strips prescribed to patients with type 2 diabetes, limiting prescribing to newly diagnosed patients. The report calls for more research into this area. Unfortunately there is little if anything in the report that is likely to cause us to modify our policy in the way the patient would like. If anything, the report would call for greater restrictions in prescribing test strips to patients with type 2 diabetes.”



There are currently no plans to change the attached policy.



Regards<<
am I insulting wild weasels?
Hana
 
Hi Hana,
It seems that even if you don't agree with your PCT, they are better than most as they are actually giving strips out. For the newly diagnosed who obviously have unstable blood sugars, then three per day is better than none.

As a point of interest, how many do you think that you need as you seem to have good control and you are not on any hypo inducing meds/insulin?

Catherine.
 
I use 1 or sometimes 2 strips per day.the PCT allow me 1 per week. I did manage to cadge a pack when I had a UTI and had to go onto antibiotics, a bit before Christmas.
Hana
PS fewer than half the 14.000 diabetics in the care of our PCT hit HbA1cs of 7.5% or below and they don't offer any training.
 
I rarely test now unless I am ill.
I might test once per week and then once a month I test throughout the day.
 
Type 2 diabetics aren't the only one to face these problems with test strips..

I have trouble with obtaining my strips, even though my consultant has written several letters to my doctor expalining that 100 tests strips a month is far too little..

In fact I really need to have around 250 test strips a month if not more, due to using an insulin pump, I test a mim of 6 times a day, most says slightly more, then I have to add on the regular fasting tests I have to carry out to ensure that I maintain my basal rate correctly..

A draw back to using insulin pump thearpy, is it only uses quick acting insulin, so regular bg testing is a must, if anything goes wrong with the pump, i.e, air bubble in the tubing, blockages or unknow disconnection or the cannular coming adrift, means that my blood glucose can raise very quickly and DKA can set in very quickly as well.. So its not only avoiding an hypo that I have to worry about...

So think yourself lucky that you can maintain your control with mim of testing, I would love to go a day without having to carry out a BG test, but wisdom tells me that this isn't a wise choice to make...

If I remeber rightly, your hosptial is the Royal Berkshire, which contray to what you say, do provide diabetic training and courses for diabetic patients, along side insulin pump therapy, which the have a separate clinic for (ever 2nd and 3rd Thursday of the month) actually they've probably got a better diabetic clinic set up than the hospital I attend, which hasn't got a specific insulin pump clinic, as they avoid issueing these like the pleague, or has my DSN told me when I asked about having one, said they are as rare as hens teeth in our PCT!!
 
Jopar
The Royal Berks may offer training, but I have never been seen there, I attend GP only and I've never been offered any. when I queried the PCT, I was told they don't run any training,because it costs too much. My husband is a T1 and has been attending the Royal Berks for over 30 years. He too has never been offered education.
It's quite likely something more recent than his diagnosis and they didn't offer it to established patients. All he's ever been told is to increase his insulin doses.
Hana
 

I have exactly the same struggle!! Oddly enough, didn't have a problem getting my pre-pump strips prescribed, anything new and they seem to get all freaked out and think the patient doesn't know what he/she is doing! So odd considering the cost of treating an amputee patient or kidney dialysis. Don't know about you Jopar but it's the constant justification I have to give in order to get the strips which bugs me the most! it's not even like there isn't proof of what bad control can do to a person!! Once would imagine the GP's even studied such cases whilst doing their medical training, worst case/best case scenarios etc, etc. the whole thing makes me SO cross!! :evil: :shock: :roll:
 
Hana - I'm T2 diet only and also in West Berks PCT area but my experience was different. Rather tentatively I asked my GP to prescribe strips to which he said "of course - one pack now, 5 on repeat, very sensible, how else are you to work out what foods work for you and identify trends that you can manage?" He is also supportive of my position on starchy carb avoidance, based on my spreadsheet BG data which I showed him when I was first developing my diet.

I am fortunate in the sense that my GP is a star as far as I'm concerned and I guess he's ignoring PCT policy. Unfortunately he seems close to retirement and I'll be sorry to see him go.
 
There is an argument about funding for the heart rehab gym class in Ealing Hospital.

We think it is cheaper to keep patents well, rather than giving medical treatment.
 
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