Testing strips

On a repeat prescription, shouldn't these be unmoderated i.e. there is no restriction on how many you have? Went to order some just now and it seems my doctor has decided to allow me only 50 per month.

Indeed they should. Must be near enough unlimited. If you were to have an infection and using your DAFNE sickness rules you could easily use a box in 3 days.
Get on to your practice and see your GP pointing out the practicalities of what we do.
I get 250 strips at a time which mostly fits my repeat prescription schedule.
Internet repeat prescription ordering with illogical limitations applied drives me potty
Regards
Garry

I have accu chek mobile, which comes with a cassette with 50 tests on one cassette. My prescription is for 2 cassettes ie 100 tests.If you are type 1 there should be no restriction as different people have differnt tesy regimes, I test between 4 and 6 times a day ie between 120 and 180 per month

Thanks for replies, I thought as much. I find my GP surgery SO frustrating sometimes when it comes to prescriptions. Only the other day I saw that my lancets had been taken off repeat prescription so I had to get them reinstated. No offence but the receptionists don't seem to have much clue sometimes. I said I needed these lancets put back on, she said "well you've got strips, you can't have both". AAARGH! I then literally had to e xplain to her that I needed to PUT BLOOD ON THE STRIP so I had to use something to GET THE BLOOD. Honestly. What annoys me is that when we graduate from DAFNE we all get a letter for our GP saying we will need more strips because of more testing. My doctor took heed of this but obviously something's gone wrong. Perhaps he's decided that as a diabetic I'm costing him too much money seeing as we're supposedly eating up most of the NHS budget AND we're all draining resources from complications. If they looked at those 2 facts they should realise that if we were all checked properly then we wouldn't be so costly. Anyway, off my soapbox now!

I had same problem when my GP refused me strips saying i had enough .So i phoned my DAFNE nurse who called my GP to explain why i need so many and since then no problem They even gave me 100 instead of usual 50.

I agree with what others have said, sometimes you just need to put your surgery in their place. The receptionist is not there to make any kind of statement about prescription drugs they are not medically trained. I would contact the surgery ask to speak to the practice manager and explain the situation, or email the practice manager. As I say the receptionist is not in a position to make ANY statement on your prescription and the surgery should not be limiting anything on your prescription. I have found practice managers VERY receptive to complaints, terrified almost
I have never needed to be awkward or pushy, just explained the situation clearly and they know they need to resolve it. They almost always do !

Bizarrely was at my GP nurse today for a routine diabetes check up and gave her the letter from my diabetes specialist nurse after completing my Dafne course only last week and was asked "do you really need ketostik; glucagon and fastclix on a repeat prescription" !!!! Explained that yes in fact I do but hoped that I wouldn't be using the ketostik or glucagon very often".....her response...." well then I'll put them on as a one-off and if you need them again phone and we'll have a prescription for you in 2-3 days". Unbelievable ...and I was there for her to take blood etc for my diabetes check??? Advised that she should go and see a diabetes specialist or attend a Dafne course to fully comprehend why those items are needed, often at short notice. They are now on my repeat prescription

Thanks for replies,very useful. Goodglucosegirl, I can really sympathise,sadly it is amazing how in the medical profession there seems to be a lack of knowledge of diabetes, let alone DAFNE! I see it at my surgery and every time I've been in hospital the nurses are woefully lacking in even the most basic knowledge. I know they are watching costs all the time but I think a lot of the time they forget that we are constantly monitoring our condition, it's not like taking a pill once a day and everything is oki
. So re my repeat of strips, perhaps I should go to the Practice Manager of my surgery, might be better as bypasses receptionists but don't need to bother doctor. Yes I could physically go and see him but it annoys me that I have to do it. Telephone appt with him? I could do that and if he gives me grief I will then complain to the manager!

A good diabetic nurse is always my first stop with this sort of thing.
They have a better idea about what is going on.

"Perhaps he's decided that as a diabetic I'm costing him too much money".
I believe it is true that your GP gets paid more patient roll money for you as a diabetic DianeW.

Regards
Garry