Refused test strips!?*&

Hi @WHT Can you please clarify your profile states 'insulin dependent' and then 'diet' only, are you on insulin ? If you can log into your profile and adjust to suit your circumstances that would be great so people can understand your diabetes treatment.

Odd I don’t see any insulin comments anywhere, perhaps the op got onto it fast!

Sadly it’s not unusual for type 2 to be refused test strips. Unless you were on glucose lowering meds originally it was pretty lucky to get them in the first place.

A prepayment certificate is a buy ahead scheme for prescriptions and the prescriptions still cost the nhs money, unlike if you buy them over the counter. So on that basis prepaid or pay for each prescription individually makes no difference to the cost to the nhs, infact they arguably are paid less by a prepayment.

Most likely your best bet when you discuss issue of them with a dr is to explain exactly how using the strips helps your control. NICE guidelines say they shouldn’t be routinely isssued to type 2. It doesn’t ban it entirely though. “Individualised Care” by self monitoring and being an “integral part” of your achieving and maintaining control would be the tactic and buzz words I’d use.

Some drs don’t even realise that they can be used to compare pre and post meal readings thus establishing “safe” foods.

Also they sometimes feel regardless of results there’s nothing immediately that can be done (eg no insulin to inject) so it’s pointless. You can adjust the meal for carbs or wait til it’s lower before eating, you can take a walk or other exercise. Thus maintaining a more level profile and avoiding spikes and higher hb1ac.

There’s a school of thought it can cause anxiety. I’d be more stressed having no idea what’s happening whilst waiting for infrequent hb1ac’s and having no idea which foods or events contribute to raising or lowering levels.

This thread discusses testing https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...-your-blood-sugars.66574/page-51#post-2053688

And this is just one of many that discuss the same issue https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/advice-on-gp-refusing-to-give-test-strips.163284/

WHT said:

seriously I give up...........! Over and out!!!! ***!

Click to expand...

Shame
What can you say. NO Question mark!

It frustrates me that being diet controlled I don’t get the test strips prescribed, but they’d happily prescribe a bunch of pills if I didn’t control it through my diet. It’s a stupid system.

However, I just remind myself that I am LUCKY I can control it through diet and don’t have to take the meds, & if the ‘cost’ of that is buying strips, then so be it. There’s no gain to me in being angry about the stupidity of it. And it’s the stupidity of their thinking that annoys me far more than the money.

As others have said, your pre paid card is just that, a method of payment, not a right to demand whatever you want is prescribed.

How is your Blood Pressure?