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You & your GP

D

dave101

Member
Messages
19
I could fill pages with the arguments, and confrontations that go on at my local GP surgery.

How do you guys get on with your repeat prescriptions?
Am I alone in having some kind of problem almost every time I put one in?
 
My request slip for tomorrow has 13 items on it. Quite often there is a mistake not suprisingly. I am on antibiotics for 3 months, one GP would only give me 2 weeks in the first instance. I requested another months worth. However, if my repeat MRI next month shows persistent bone infection then I have to go on 3 weeks of IV daptomycin (£88 per shot once a day) then 4 weeks of Linezolid (£500 per week). To think she didn't want to waste money 2 weeks ago- wait till she gets the bill for those puppies.

They changed my test strips to one conatiner per scrip. I check my BS 6-8 TIMES per day. How long will 50 test strips last me. I am supposed to get one months worth. The computer said it cost over £1000 per year just for test strips. But then, I am worth it.

Just stand your ground. remember, to many GPs, Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle choice.

Marty B
 
I can only sympathise with you, Martin.

I'm type 1 myself, and as you mentioned Test Strips, that's the thing I've had a disagreement about today.
The hospital gave me a new machine last week with a few strips to keep me going, and a letter to the GP to get my prescription changed.
Over the weekend I made spreadsheet that showed the calculations by day, week, month for all my medication.
I calculated by doing 4 tests a day (31 days a month) that I would need 124 strips per month.
Like yourself, I do more than 4 a day - why shouldn't I?
My GP reckons that I shouldn't need to test so often, and so has given me 2*50. Their response was, "We only perscribe 2 packs per scrip".
Who the hell are they to tell me how many times a day I can test my BS!!
 
A good argument is that you have to test before you drive as well, thus puts up the number of times you have to check, by law. hard to resist that one.

I have been using insulin for a year, so i am still experimenting with dosing, schedules, food types etc.

Marty B
 
I actually drive for a living and the Specialist told me to check BS before I take the van out, and then every 2 hours whilst on the road.
I've been on insulin for 41 years and luckily had no side complaints, However, the last year or so my warning signs for hypos have become less, so the BS machine is priceless.
 
Yes, I'm going back to the Specialist in January and will see if he'll write something for the GP to take note of.
The responsible thing is to remain calm (ahahaaa!!) and endeavour to beat these people by using their own system.

I have built up a very good relationship with my local pharmacist, but the GP is a bit like dealing with 'from Little Britain - Computer says No'. :D
 
I have a torrid time with my doc.

Test Strips - ask for 200 (a months supply if I'm lucky), he gives me 100. Ring to have a chat - 'he's too busy'...!

So book an 'urgent' appointment to see him. He's not happy but I need to make a point cos he doesnt have a clue! He then asks if I realise how much they cost......So I say ....do I give a toss??? Does he realise what living with Diabetes means and getting a decent script should be less agro than what he is making it?! Its not like I'm selling them on ebay or anything!!! Just doing 4-10 tests a day.

This isnt the only issue. When I broke a pen he wanted to see it before he'd order another!!!!! I have better things to do than sit around for an hour waiting to see him just to get a script to keep me alive.

Sorry for the rant. Hes a ****.

My last doc was much more understanding and understood my needs. This idiot doesnt even want to know - just keep his budgets under his tight control. Pathetic.

Maybe they need to think about why they need to make a **** disease even more difficult to live with.

Grump over!

Paul
 
That's exactly my point too, Paul.
They treat you like you're trying to make some personal gain. Other than to another diabetic (who has the same machine) the test strips are as much use to anyone else as a chocolate teapot!
 
I second the advice about telling them that you have been advised to check your blood sugar before you drive. I believe that (for me at least) this is essential. Gp's have a tough job, but I am sure that they wouldn't want a car accident on their concscience.

I am lucky, and my GP is genarally great. A few months ago, I had a full blown hypo, right outside the GPs surgery, and he came out and injected me with some of that injectable hypo stop. Since then, he has been fantastic.Maybe he hadn't seen the consequences of what could happen, if we don't know what our blood sugar level is before? I guuess in his training, he maybe saw hypos when an ambulance crew, friend or the diabetic person themselves had taken measures themselves, but in my instance, he was the first there. The reason for my hypo was that early pregnancy seemed to make my hypo symptoms disappear....very scary, but thankfylly they are back now.

Not recommeneding having a hypo and fitting in front of your GP just to make a point, but a more gentle reminder of the consequences of what can go wrong wouldn't go amiss?
 
Hmmm that sounds like a plan - I may even run to the surgery just to bring a hypo on lol!

Good tip about Fri pm Marty - I'll remember that!
 
last time that I ordered test strips instead of the usual 200 the script only had 100, I had an appointment with my GP that same day so i got her to amend the prescription and said that i normally got 200.

So we will see come thursday/friday when i go to the practice to pick up the latest prescription what it is for as I have specially asked for 200. I plan to kick off if it's not for 200.

I need to test at least 4-5 times a day and thats without exercising without driving without feeling low or high at any point. 100 a month isn't enough.

what gets me though is every time they will give me 5x 3mls cartridges of both lantus and novorapid, and with a TDD of 12-16 units it lasts me alot longer than a month
 
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by martinbuchan</i>
<br />Sounds like 'Diabetics for Justice'

Marty B
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">


OK, but you will have to be spiderman...I don't look good in lycra!
 
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sugar</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by martinbuchan</i>
<br />Sounds like 'Diabetics for Justice'

Marty B
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">


OK, but you will have to be spiderman...I don't look good in lycra!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That is my wee boy. He just wouldn't wear his shepherd costume for today's nursery nativity play. He just wanted to weat his spiderman costume. I tried to get him to say to the baby Jesus 'with great power comes great responsibilty...'.

He just wouldn't say it.


I use 100 units levemir a day at the moment. So 5 flexpens last maybe 2 weeks. It seems just more work for the GPs.

Marty B
 
Very interesting reading through the replies in this topic so far.
It would appear that not everyone has problems with their GPs although the majority do.
I guess it depends on location as to whether or not you get a good one. I must admit when I lived in Harrow my GP was excellent. Unfortunately when moving from the area one can't stay on their books.

You'll laugh at this - my GP is a type 1 diabetic himself - do you think he shows me any favours or understanding? Does he hell!!
 
I have to say my GP has been pretty good - she has only made one mistake with the prescription and only once have I asked for 200 strips and got 50 instead...agree with you others that less than 200 in one go isn't worth bothering with. I'd be at the chemist every few days if I only got 50!
 
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