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Strips

Greta10920

Newbie
Messages
2
Can anyone tell me. I can only get hold of 50 strips. Per 4wks if that. If my nurse tells me to do it once a day that's 28. If you do not get the right amount on the strip comes up error. So if you use another one. But it comes up when you put blood on it error you have to try again. As anyone having a job getting them. I get them with my pills. I mite not even get 50 next 4weeks.
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If you are a type 2 then you are lucky to get any, as it seems that most doctors and DNs consider it unnecessary.
I have to buy all my test equipment, so to get a good idea of your readings you might have to do the same - the good thing is that after a few months you can get a good idea of how you are affected by various foods, and should be seeing lower levels and so not need to test nearly as much.
If you are type 1 then you need to test a lot more than once a day.
 
Greta10920 said:
I can only get hold of 50 strips.
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As already mentioned, most type IIs don't get any, it's a fact of life, the NHS is broke. If you join your Patient Participation Group, you'll become aware of how broke and imminent problems of retiring GPs and lady GPs who, early in their careers, stop completely to look after families.
 
Yes, unless you are on insulin or Gliclazide (or one of the other insulin stimulant drugs) you are very lucky to get any. The vast majority of us have to buy our own.
 
I also often struggle to come to terms with the illogical treatment I receive on the NHS.
 
Sorry to hear that is happening Here we have a diabetes scheme where we get our supplies subsidised. So that way we are able to buy what we need and we just pay for it. I pay $16.50 for pack of 100 strips. It's always been roughly that amount we pay here. Although this year they're bringing in restrictions for type 2's here similar to UK... it will be up to docs to decide whether their patients need test strips and if they authorise it then people can still access it under our scheme here. For me I'm on insulin so I'm not included in the new rules here. Of course in my view all diabetics should have access to test strips that they need.
 
Tipetoo said:
I get mine subsidised by the NDSS for $1.30 for a 100 strip box.
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That's good... do you have a concession or something? I don't have any concessions.
 
Mep said:
That's good... do you have a concession or something? I don't have any concessions.
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If you join the NDSS which takes around two weeks to setup and send you a info pack, and the all important membership card.

The application form to join the NDSS which is free, when you fill it in follow the instructions about getting your GP to sign it.

I get my GP to fill in the application form for new strips every six months.

The strip application form here.
 

I'm already a member of NDSS, I have been for years. I don't need to see my GP as the new rules don't cover insulin dependant diabetics. Are you saying that your docs authorisation gives you strips for $1.60? The only time I got cheaper strips was when I reached my Medicare threshold for medications. I guess if you hold a concession card or you're a pensioner you may get cheap strips as well. I don't hold any concessions as I work.
 
Mep said:
Are you saying that your docs authorisation gives you strips for $1.60?
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It's $1.30 for a 100, and every six month he signs the strip form again or the diabetic educator I see will.

You should not be paying that $16.50 amount you quoted before as that's a rip off.

A friend of mine is a insulin dependant type 2 and he gets them at $1.60, as does the bar manager at the the bowls club who is on those Gliclazide tablets as a T2. Both are members of NDSS.
 

Yes, although you must be a concession card holder of some sort.... I'm not. I hold no concessions which means I can't get it as cheap as you're getting them. The price for people who hold no concessions is on the list in the link I posted earlier. You can see what I pay.... it's $16.70. That's better than having to pay $60 or more. It's good though that it is real cheap for concession card holders.

I present my NDSS card and that's what I have to pay.... $16.70 per 100 strip box.
 
Here's the receipt from last Thursday showing the NDSS service fee of $1.30.

 
Reactions: Mep
Tipetoo said:
Here's the receipt from last Thursday showing the NDSS service fee of $1.30.

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That's great... you're fortunate to be paying the cheaper price. I can't get my strips for that price as I said... just refer to the list I posted (it's the 2nd page after the order form) and you'll will see the differences in discounts provided. The price you've been charged is only for people with concessions.... the rest of us have to pay the 'general' discount prices under NDSS. Either that or your pharmacy is charging you incorrectly if you hold no concessions whatsoever.
 
Mep said:
Either that or your pharmacy is charging you incorrectly if you hold no concessions whatsoever.
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I have been paying that price at various pharmacy's not only Blooms, the bar manager I mentioned does not have a concession card and that is the price she pays as well.
 
R.J.Burgess said:
illogical treatment I receive on the NHS.
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It's all about money and the NHS doesn't have any. I get the feeling that it's a bit like a pendulum, there used to be waste in the NHS so successive governments have tried to sort it out by being leaner and meaner (a lot meaner|) and the pendulum has swung the other way, only way too far.

Reforms based on William Beveridge’s 1942 report, argued that universal access to health care was necessary in order to fight the ‘five giants’ (want, disease, squalor, ignorance and idleness). Beveridge believed that the government should provide its citizens with social security ‘from the cradle to the grave’. They've achieved that, but the "cradle to the grave" bit is looking very sad, we now expect so much more. Mind you, we do have an election coming up, I wonder how the manifestos compare? Do I believe them any way?
 
Tipetoo said:
I have been paying that price at various pharmacy's not only Blooms, the bar manager I mentioned does not have a concession card and that is the price she pays as well.
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cool ... I have no idea how you both get this price without a concession though... your pharmacies must be giving you the discount as NDSS doesn't (eg. your pharmacy may be entering a different code or something than they should be). I've always paid the general discount price as per NDSS price list, the only time I got it heavily discounted was when I reached my Medicare threshold and was issued with a PBS concession card which only lasted me weeks before the next year kicked in.
 
I get mine on the nhs and they cost £25.99 a box of 50 and I get 100 every 2-3 months give or take as i use the contour next usb or one meter from Bayer and my gp just prescribes them when I ask for them as I am on insulin and T2 and I have to test 4 times a day which is playing havic with my fingers but I think it's all wrong for not giving all diabetics test strips as the dsn I see tells everyone to test all the time
 
The NHS pay under £10 per box of 50 for all the ones they prescribe, at least Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Devon and Cornwall do (they are the ones in the reports I read). I wouldn't mind self funding at that price for my Nexus but there is not the capability for us to buy from the NHS rather than the actual companies. Even if they put an extra £1 on the price of each box to make a profit, it wouldn't be overly expensive compared to the cost of them privately
 
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