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Tesco chemists

T

theonlysbf

Active Member
Messages
29
I have just experienced the inconsistency of the Tesco chemist. I usually buy my test strips here and pay about £15-16 for 51 accuchek compact strips, last night after the chemist and his assistant spent 5 minutes finding a price I was asked for £27.47 for 51, where do they get their prices from out of thin air, Boots charge £19. I am all for a free market econmony but for things like these surely there must be a max price they can charge us. I am sure the NHS dont pay £27.47 when filling a perscription. I will vote with my feet Sainsbury is next.
 
Hi,

Why didn't you question why on your previous visit you paid £15-16, and on this occasion they are charging nearly double at £27.47. That is daylight robbery, and they shouldn't be allowed to charge this, so I would go back to Tesco's with your receipt and take issue with this and demand that they refund part of what they have charged you. Take along with you some examples of prices elsewhere like Boots, Sainsbury's etc to demonstrate that you have been over-charged.

Nigel
 
I sympathise with you about Tescos. I got a new meter and had run out of strips and needed to buy some, however one tescos priced me (excluding VAT) £11, when I enquired at another Tesco Chemist 2 miles away they said they were £22, I don't know who is right? so I got a prescription from my GP to get some strips, they are absolutley a rip off. I think the makers of the strips corner the market everytime, they give you free machines and then expect us to get a new prescription for the strips, however, the GP's mostly see the cost of them and ask if we can get a cheaper machine. It will be a great day when a manufacturer will invent a stripless machine but then they won't make much money out of us diabetics?
 
Can I ask why you pay for your prescriptions?

I get mine for free, I pay my taxes so it's a small win on my part. Just wondering if this was a personal choice or something else?
 
I dont pay for perscriptions, But the load on the NHS is great enough. I can at present afford to pay for my test strips and softclixs, so I dont load my GP with this cost I only ask that the practice pays for one in 10.
That does not mean that I will let Tesco over charge me with their vague pricing policies, vote with your feet use someone who wont do it, use ebay? where I have just brought 200 for 40 quid free post
 
Being a diabetic means you might as well have a sign round your neck that says 'please rip me off'. Luckily my GP is more understanding and of course as she said the only upside of being a DMT2 is that all your meds are FoC. You can imagine my joy.
Makes you glad you don't live in the USA. DM adds to the polarization between the haves and have nots.
 
Amanda Hugankiss said:
I also find Tesco Pharmasists a little over zealous in the "is this for yourself/do you take any other drugs/have you had this before" malarky.
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These are just sensible precautions that pharmacists need to ask when dispensing prescriptions. As mistakes have been made in the past, they are duty bound to ask such questions now.

Nigel
 
This is obviously Tesco's set standard. They cannot differentiate between the level of customers knowledge regarding their medication. Better to be over zealous than have incidents happen.
 
I still buy the odd box of strips mostly because the doctors and DN keep moaning on how many I use. When I had an accu check compact machine the strips could be bought for £6.83 at Boots Chemist per barrel(17) and very handy if I am away and run out of strips, but I have a new machine now and if I run out I have to buy a whole box of 50 strips. I can ill afford it sometimes being a student but I hate to be a burden on the NHS.
 
Very good of you to consider the burden on the NHS unlike some Ebayers who blatantly sell them for a profit.
 
i cant understand ? you do not have to pay if youre a diabetic ? & if you want to pay thats up to the individual ,you have worked & paid your taxes i presume ,so why pay ,no point being a hero when thousands of others who have never worked or paid taxes burdens every decent person with thier freebees ,get what you are entitled to
 
Amanda Hugankiss said:
I humbly bow to your superior knowledge of pharmacists, but I still think when I'm asked if "I am on any other medication" when I am buying Breathe Right nasal strips is a little OVER zealous
Click to expand...

Point taken Amanda, but you didn't mention Breathe Right nasal strips in your original post.

Nigel
 
Personally I'd allow the NHS to supply the strips if your doctor will allow - and make a donation to diabetes research for the same amount every month.

My reasons are that I think the NHS can bulk buy. And since diabetes seems to be on the up, the quicker a cure, or new way of dealing with it, is found the better - because in the long run it will be deal with the disease or help prevent it.

The only loser would be Tesco. Shame.
 
I buy my strips rom Abbott Diabetes care and they are consistent with their prices and superb service. Try your meter supplier. It's pretty much certain to be cheaper than a retail pharmacy.
Hana
PS I'm one of the many non-insulin using diabetics, whose PCT refuses to allow them to be prescribed[Actually, they allow me 2 boxes of 50 per year on prescription],because I "Don't need to test more often than once a week as a stable T2
 
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