Those diagnosed as type1 get free strips,needles,lancets,insulin,pens,syringes Free and exception cert. you just need to renew it, before it expires. I forgot to in a house move and Boots wouldn't dispense my insulin, even thou I had been their years, without me paying for it. Went to a independent chemist and they went you need it to live bring in your cert when you get. I got my prescription the next day, cert took a week or so to arrive, took it in and they kept the number on file, just like my local supermarket(won't name names) but told if I need emergency insulin, they keep 1 back for me. If a locum Chemist on, I''m to ask them to call the lead 2 pharmacy girls and they ok, the need for insulin. I can't fault them at the place I now use.