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The other patient I trained with on Omnipod told me last week that her GP told her to cut down on blood testing which rather surprised her as she’d been told to increase it due to change to pump therapy. I’m told by a GP I know that practices are paid now on targets that reward a decrease in prescribing costs and a target area is blood testing strips for diabetics, namely type 2’s on diet and metformin. Unfortunately the GP system doesn’t differentiate between type 1’s and 2’s so we are all targetted together which means that some of us with less enlightened GP’s will have to justify our use. My practice is fine but it really annoys me that anyone of us type 1’s have to explain our useage of test strips. Puncturing our fingertips 6-8 times a day shouldn’t be thought of as a luxury. Maybe Diabetes UK should have a word with the PCT’s.
Off to wilfully puncture my finger now whether I need it or not!
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I find that worrying & depressing!
I wonder if anyone doing the instructing has worked out the cost of a reasonable supply of strips (say 50 a week) compared to the costs to the NHS of complications which we’re always told are so horrendously high!
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No that would be too obvious. The PCT accountant would have only looked at the bottom line rather than the long term benefits that any one with the slightest knowledge of diabetes would know. Sad isn’t it?
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I was chatting to one of the diabetic girls from America who has a blog only a month ago.
They have a black market for test strips over there, and what’s worse counterfeits as well. I said it’d never occured to me that’d happen as we’d thankfully never have a problem over here getting such basics.
… Famous last words!
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If you do find GP’s threatening to withold test strips from type 1’s, make sure you ask to see a copy of the guidance they claim to be implementing. The vast majority of the guidance is very clear when it refers to type 2, not type 1. Some GPs seem to be selectively blind in that area so helping them to spot the important words is often a useful way of solving the problem.
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A very frustratinging issue I agree. We only ever get two packs of biostrips at a time so its ;
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@seeingtreble I’d prepare for battle with your gp.
If you can prove frequency of testing & therefore how long a prescription is lasting it shouldn’t be a problem as diabetes is a longterm condition a prescription should last a reasonable length of time.
I’ve just got mine to increase to 300 strips or about 4-6 weeks supply.
I seem to remember @alison writing a good piece on preparing to see a doctor when you have an agenda (although possibly not using the term battle!)
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@furrypaul Are you hypo? No one normally admits to either Tim or I writing a good piece
@seeingtreble I think this is the piece Paul’s talking about http://www.shootuporputup.co.uk/2011/07/am-i-a-nightmare-patient/
I agree with Paul completely – work out the maths and demonstrate what a reasonable one month supply would be for you. And if the GP is still being an idiot, your could try asking your diabetic nurse to write a letter to the GP stating how many sticks you require a month (and ask them to be generous in the estimate).
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I used to get three packets of test strips at a time and was thinking about getting more per go. However, before I got round to it my GP – of their own accord and obviously engaging brain – upped it to five packets without me asking. This proves that there are, in fact, some moderately good GPs out there…
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Most GP from experiences don’t want to be giving you more than a months supply. If its a pill a day the prescription will be for 4 weeks (28) and the pharmacy is expected to divide packs up accordingly. They might round up and hence prescribe 30 or 50 but its meant to be a months supply (Give or take)…….
With Insulin and Test Strips its more difficult as usage can ;
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