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AccuCheck blood sticks

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F

FLO

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Do you pay for yours or do you get them on prescription ?

I cannot get mine on prescription, and I paid ?21 for a new box this morning............😱
I can understand it really as prescriptions are free here in Wales, but I just wondered.

The nurse would like me to record a weekly count to keep an eye on my levels.
 
If the nurse wants you to test then you should be able to get them on prescription. As I am in England and on insulin all my prescriptions are free (thank goodness!).
 
I think there's the argument. I am Type 2 and possibly they think that it is not quite so essential for me as for a Type 1 and therefore no prescription.

( Sorry I put this post in the wrong place Sir ! )
 
FLO said:
I think there's the argument. I am Type 2 and possibly they think that it is not quite so essential for me as for a Type 1 and therefore no prescription.

( Sorry I put this post in the wrong place Sir ! )
Click to expand...

Hehe! No problems Flo 🙂 I suspect the argument is one of cost, not about providing what you need to learn how to manage your diabetes well - it's a common enough situation unfortunately. This explains why there should be no 'blanket ban' on providing strips for people, but considering each case individually (the much more expensive option in the short term, but if it helps you steer clear of complications later in life it can actually be cheaper in the long run):

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/How_we_h...ks/Availability-of-blood-glucose-test-strips/
 
FLO said:
I think there's the argument. I am Type 2 and possibly they think that it is not quite so essential for me as for a Type 1 and therefore no prescription.

( Sorry I put this post in the wrong place Sir ! )
Click to expand...

Like Flo i'm type 2 and never had them script before however now i'm on Byetta AND Gliclazide my diabetes nurse tells me there is a chance of hypo so they should be free but it's only because i'm on Byetta as well if it was just Gliclazide and metformin then there should be no need, but if she wants a record then i'd presume they would be free.


All1
 
Gliclazide can certainly send you hypo. I wouldn't want to drive a car without testing beforehand anyway - couldn't care less what the DVLA say.

What if you did go hypo driving and caused an accident and hadn't tested beforehand - the guilt would be double wouldn't it?
 
Well, at the moment, it's only a weekly test, so in the grand scheme of things, it's not that bad, I suppose.
As you very rightly say, if it prevents future problems, then it's worth every penny..............and the weight I'm losing is saving the cost of new clothes, because I have a wardrobe of clothes that I can pass off as new when they fit me again.......................LOL
 
FLO - great to hear you can wear your smaller clothes again soon 🙂
Congratulations.
 
I get mine free as I'm on Gliclazide but I'm still only allowed 100 strips per year so I have to make them count. When I saw the DSN the other day she said it was helpful to be able to see what foods affect my BS so it looks like I shall continue to get them.
I think you can get them cheaper on ebay.
 
REALLY ????

Well, I shall hot foot it onto that site and take a look It didn't occur to me to look there .

Thankyou for that
 
I used to have to buy my strips myself (I get them on prescription now) and went to eBay for them because they can be less than half price there. As others have said though, if your nurse wants you to test she needs to get the doctor to prescribe you the strips to do it with. You should ask.
 
This particular nurse is on holiday when I next visit, so I shall try again.

But by the way, Amazon sell them for ?16.47 which is quite a reduction.
 
At the moment boots are doing 25% off all accuchek products
 
FLO said:
This particular nurse is on holiday when I next visit, so I shall try again.

But by the way, Amazon sell them for ?16.47 which is quite a reduction.
Click to expand...

Did you know that you can claim the VAT back on them? You can even do this if you buy from amazon, but it is a difficult process - I gave up in the end when I bought a blood pressure monitor.
 
Blimey when you used to have yo buy your own disposable syringes, Boots just gave you about 3 questions on half a sheet of A4 which took millisecs to complete before handing over your ?1.16 !!! (?1.25 inc 8% VAT)
 
trophywench said:
Blimey when you used to have yo buy your own disposable syringes, Boots just gave you about 3 questions on half a sheet of A4 which took millisecs to complete before handing over your ?1.16 !!! (?1.25 inc 8% VAT)
Click to expand...

I remember that. They were prob more clued up about the rules then too. You didn't have to justify it to the pharmacist. I think I used to flash my BDA membership card at them just in case.
But I did get the VAT knocked off at the till a few months back when we had to buy an emergency box while out.

Rob
 
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