Diabetics' access to blood glucose test strips 'restricted'

[LeeLee]

Access to blood glucose test strips vital to help diabetics manage their condition is being restricted against government guidance, a charity says.

Of about 2,200 people who answered a question about the strips as part of a survey for Diabetes UK, 39% had had prescriptions refused or restricted.

It says restrictions are being imposed by local health managers to save money.

But a spokesman representing Clinical Commissioning Groups said the strips had been over-prescribed in the past.

It comes after Health Minister Anna Soubry told MPs the restriction of access to the testing strips was "unacceptable".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23514725

 

[Northerner]

"So, someone with type-2 diabetes most likely won't require frequent tests as their condition will be controlled in other ways such as through diet, whereas those with type-1 will need the strips much more often, therefore these patients' access to strips will most likely not be restricted."

The problem with this article is that there is no recognition of the value of testing for people who are not on insulin or other glucose-lowering medications, so that they can monitor effects of their diet on their levels

 

[AlisonM]

Just been reading the article, and while it's a step in the right direction (the issue has finally been reported) it doesn't go nearly far enough and challenge the outdated rationale behind the restrictions/refusal of strips for T2s. It also says, wrongly, that T1s probably won't have their strips rationed. What nonsense! It's happening already as we've seen from our own member's posts.

I'm firmly in the 'testing' camp. T2s should be given the kit from the start, at least for the first year, in order to learn how food and exercise affect them. After that they should have a supply of strips to monitor their BGs on a regular if not daily basis and in case of those 'imaginary' hypos everyone says they don't have. If they're on insulin or other glucose lowering meds they should have the same access as T1s.

I'm fortunate that my strips aren't rationed, but it took a lot of arguing and several letters to get what I believe is needed. Even now, Dr Idiot still questions the need, so I just refer her to the consultant and carry on as usual. I don't test 'too often'. Who in their right mind would want to? It hurts! I test at need, on waking and at bedtime and if I feel I'm hypo or too high. Once they put me on the 'full' insulin regime this will change and I'll be testing as often as regular T1s. I expect Dr Idiot will challenge this again then.

 

[Northerner]

...I don't test 'too often'. Who in their right mind would want to? It hurts! I test at need, on waking and at bedtime and if I feel I'm hypo or too high. Once they put me on the 'full' insulin regime this will change and I'll be testing as often as regular T1s. I expect Dr Idiot will challenge this again then.

What ought to happen, if they are worried about people testing 'too often', or that the strips are 'over-prescribed (ha! Yeah, right! 🙄), is that people should be issued with strips and given the necessary education, then called back every 3 months in their first year and the results reviewed. If you just hand people strips and then ignore what they are doing with them, then yes, a lot will most likely be wasted, but if you actually ensure that each test is providing useful information then there is no problem.