Anyone else having problems obtaining BG Test strips from their GP?

Hi,

I am currently undertaking a DAFNE course at Northampton. After being diabetic for 26 years didn't think I could learn a massive deal more but I was quite wrong, very useful info and the help they are giving us in reducing insulin is fantastic. Any way, back to the point. I was talking about test strips with them yesterday and they said that GP's have been told to reduce test strip usage for type 2 diabetics as once they have established their own parameters they then only need to test very occaisonaly but a lot of type 2's were checking two or three times a day. With the DAFNE training we have received we will need around 150 per month to maintain the regime and they told me at the end of the course they will write to our GP's informing the of this.

Prior to starting the course I had spent a couple of months trying the 'DAFNE regime' of my own back and had felt guilty about asking for more test strips from my GP so I had been buying them from Ebay. Prices I have paid vary from £9 ish upto £12 per 50. Less than half the normal retail. Might be worth checking out if you get stuck!

Bottom line though is that your GP should not be restricting your access to test strips for type 1 diabetics, in particular for people who have had the DAFNE training which is promoted and provided by the same NHS system!

Madness I know but as others have mentioned, funds are tight and will only get tighter.

I would need around 100 strips a month to do around 3 tests a day. Im forced to cut down to 2 tests a day at the moment, I bought some test strips from ebay as well, better then retail prices almost half, but I cant afford to do this every month, I dont earn no where near that much to do so (I work in a supermarket) so wages arnt great to say the least. I've received test strips from ebay from other diabetics who have them prescribed and then sell them on eBay (Still with the prescription label on), So some people are obviously got way to many test strips (Enough to sell on ebay and keep the money for themselves), and others like me are struggling just to get the minimum amount I need.

I think it may just be a problem with my surgery by the sounds of it, I'll be speaking to my DAFNE instructors next week for a follow up, maybe they can advise me what to do.
If you do have any problems, let us know in this forum, it would be helpful to know if it is just me and my surgery or across the UK.

DAFNE is great, Im sure you'll learn a thing or two you never knew before, All I can say is PRACTICE it daily, it will become a habit and second nature very easily, and will help your drastically in maintaining a tight Glucose control!!
It helped me especially with knowing what foods have carb's in them, I never used to take insulin for milk (But I used to drink around 1 pint of milk with my meals) and this in turn shot my insulin levels through the roof, After DAFNE im much more confident in controlling my Glucose and taking the right amount of insulin to what I eat, It also helped me with issue's with drinking alcohol and allow me to ask questions I had but could never ask anyone before (Dont be afraid to ask ANYTHING, their all there to help!). Let us know how you get on!

Hi

I must be one of the lucky ones then. I am on the Mobile Accu Chek and i test about 4 times a day more if i am unwell or going low!!! I get on average around 4 cassetts a month which is a total of 200 test!!! I have been told by my Doctor if I need anymore or if uping I am just to let him know.

I am really shocked that you are struggling to get test strips and think that everyone should be aloud as many as they need.

I am from North Yorkshire.

200 a month!! OMG! I wanted to move to the accu check mobile but apparently their "To expensive", even thought I suspect their the same price, plus their not even on my GP's Prescription list.
200 a month! Im struggling to get 50 a month, I have to fight, shout and stomp my feet to get 50 a month (That's less then 2 tests a day, 25 days @ 2 tests a day)! I've been diabetic and going to the same GP for over 10 years now, (Maybe 13 years since diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic), never had a problem in the past, but I probably wasn't testing as much as I should have, and thats why i've had high HBA1C results for the last 2 years, (Which is why I went on DAFNE)

I don't think people should be allowed as many as they want, BUT THEY SHOULD GET WHAT THEY NEED , I mean I would like to do 3-4 tests a day (I wouldn't do 4 tests each and every day if i could help it, But I think I should be allowed AT LEAST 3).But right now I have to think, "Well i've done 2 already today, Morning and lunch so we'll call that it), Then I wake up the next morning with a SUPER high BG over 10, sometimes over 14-15 IN THE MORNING,

AAARRGGHHH!! :@ Im so frustrated, I've been so stressed with my job these last 2 years, and now I got this hanging over my head as well. I just dont know what to do...

God, I wish I could do 3 tests a day, but really have to limit my self, Every time I go to the GP, I get told the same thing, "You shouldnt be doing so many test" or "We just gave you a box of 50 2 weeks ago" or some other rubbish, I think I may have to switch GP's, I think this is a problem with my GP looking at everyone else's response.

Anyone else have a view on this? Do you get enough test strips or are you in my position and have to "shout, scream and stomp your feet" like I do just to get 2 boxes a month.

Hi Rachie,

Any job and houses up north? My Doc would only give me 1 cassette, so I stuck with the Freestyle light, which is now becoming increasingly difficult to get enough sticks to allow for 4 tests per day.

Vic.

OMG, people are having to MOVE just to get WHAT THEY NEED,

Surely this is a infringement of our Human Rights in the UK or another law, how can they get away with this?, I'm going to speak to my GP once more, and ask to amend my prescription or to write a letter detailing exactly why they cant issue me more tests. Then at least in the future when I do suffer from complications (which i probably will at this rate :S... oohh more stress, just what I needed) I can file a law suit against the practice and NHS.

Im going to have to do something about this.
This is just NOT ON.

Hey Anil

I do 4 test a day, one before each meal and then 1 before go to sleep and i do more if I have a bad day. I am maybe lucky and my doctor is always on call no matter when and if he isn't there he rings back when he does come in. I have been at my doctors since i was born and they were the ones who realised I was diabetic so I do have a close relationship with them. When I had finished my DAFNE course the DSN who did the course wrote to all our GPs and explained that we needed more test strips and they were put on the system for us. As far as I know none of us have had any problems getting our perscriptions changed.

I really hope you get sorted out and I do feel so lucky having the GPs I do.

Yes, Hopefully I think ill get their in the end, Im seeing my DAFNE instructors next week, so hopefully they can also speak to my GP (again) and sort it.
Just kind of worried about others in the same situation, because when you think about it, this is kind of a "easy" way for the NHS to save abit of money, I mean you hear about it on the news all the time, "NHS budget deficit", "NHS making cut backs" and stuff, Just hope it doesn't go on like this for all our sakes,

Hi Anil,

I would contact your local DAFNE team and let them know about the problems you have been having getting enough test strips on prescription from your GP as they may be able to contact your GP / write to him or her to explain why you need more strips than their average diabetic patient.

Also the difficulties that some people are having getting the test cassettes for the new Accu-Check mobile meter, may be because when these are prescribed, you get 2 test cassettes at a time (equivalent to 100 test strips, or 2 pots of 50 strips), hence the seemingly higher cost to your GP. Also different GP's computer prescribing software are set up differently, meaning that when your GP types in ' Accu Check mobile test cassette' he or she can't find it. Accu-check advise that it may be alternatively listed as either 'mobile test cassette' or 'mobile calorimetric test cassette'. I hope that this helps.

Hi,
I'll be seeing my DAFNE team tomorrow, I will take up the test strip issue's with them and see what they can do to help,

Thanks for you help!