GP policy on test strips for Type 2 diabetics

[VBH]

I'm thinking of looking for another GP - one more sympathetic to my condition.

Has anyone else done such a thing?

John,
There's 5 docs at my medical centre. I will usually try and see one in particular. Unfortunately so does everyone else, so its a bit difficult. Hes not actually my GP, but thats not terribly important. You have the RIGHT to change GPs, which is important to remember.

But you also have to remember the important thing about GPs - the "G". They are General practitioners and not specialists, although most have an interest in a particular area. Unless you strike it lucky you are not that likely to have a GP with a lot of knowledge about diabetes specfically. So if you can find one, and if they are taking on additional patients its a wise move.

Of course when it comes to T2, a lot of the time its just allocated to nurses, many of whom get a day or two extra training on diabetes.

I think the important thing is to be in charge of your own diabetes management. The medics are there to help but they don't have to live with it day to day. They are also not the ones who will suffer complications if its not managed properly. So I generally run things and more use them for support.

 

[PattiEvans]

HI there

Forgive my ignorance, i am purely just interested...where d you buy your testing strips? online? and if you were a person with type 2 diabetes and health insurrance would that mean you would get them paid for you?

Im interested in understanding a little more in the differences we come encounter.

Are you in the USA Sugarbum? Here in UK we have to get a prescription in which case the strips are free if you're on medication (or at a small cost if you're not), if you don't get a prescription you have to pay for them. When referring to Health Insurance, we're normally talking "Private Health Insurance" for which we pay privately, it's usually quite expensive and covers us to see consultants, hospital procedures at a private hospital etc. It doesn't normally (as I understand it and it's a long time since I dropped mine due to cost - and never used it anyway) cover cost of prescriptions, which, as I said, are free to diabetics on medication.

 

[wallycorker]

I think the important thing is to be in charge of your own diabetes management. The medics are there to help but they don't have to live with it day to day. They are also not the ones who will suffer complications if its not managed properly. So I generally run things and more use them for support.

I'm fully with you on that VBH. That is what I'm trying to do.

However, as you will fully realise, I'm questioning whether I am receiving the diabetic support that I need from a GP who I have had great respect for in the past.

Best Wishes - John

 

[Vanessa]

John, all of us have different strengths and it may be that your GP who has been so good for you for your other health problems is not particularly strong on, or interested in, all the possibilities for Type 2 diabetes management.

I'm lucky - my GP is interested. However he adheres to NICE guidelines on treatment and the prescribing of test strips for Type 2 - professionally he could be challenged if he didn't and would have to justify his actions. Do have a look at the NICE guidelines and go armed with them when you discuss this further - links posted elsewhere on this site. You may have to press firmly on the issues of self-management - and if you don't get anywhere then will need to reach a decision about whether to see a different GP. However, it may be worth bearing in mind the comment made by my doc when I reached my first mutually agreed HbA1c target of 6.5 that I was his model patient as most didn't seem to bother trying anything other than taking the pills. That must be so disheartening for any health care professional

 

[wallycorker]

You may have to press firmly on the issues of self-management - and if you don't get anywhere then will need to reach a decision about whether to see a different GP. However, it may be worth bearing in mind the comment made by my doc when I reached my first mutually agreed HbA1c target of 6.5 that I was his model patient as most didn't seem to bother trying anything other than taking the pills. That must be so disheartening for any health care professional

Hi Vanessa - Thanks!

I assure you that I did press quite strongly. I got the responses that "I would have to die sometime", also - "He too had spikes in blood glucose" (however, I couldn't understand what relevance that had if he wasn't diabetic) and in the end if I didn't like his policy "I would need to look for a different GP".

My next action will be to challenge the Rotherham PCT about their policies.

Like your doctor, my GP was more than delighted when I got my HbA1c down to 6.8% - i.e. below the 7% that the doctor gets paid by. However, I knew from reading that is a compromise level and wanted my readings even lower still. Hence the reason for me reducing it to 5.7% and then to 5.5% - and hopefully even lower today.

My view is that if they become disheartened by the patients that will not make the necessary changes then all the more reason to support the ones like me who do want to sort their situation out.

Best Wishes - John

 

[Sugarbum]

Are you in the USA Sugarbum? Here in UK we have to get a prescription in which case the strips are free if you're on medication (or at a small cost if you're not), if you don't get a prescription you have to pay for them. When referring to Health Insurance, we're normally talking "Private Health Insurance" for which we pay privately, it's usually quite expensive and covers us to see consultants, hospital procedures at a private hospital etc. It doesn't normally (as I understand it and it's a long time since I dropped mine due to cost - and never used it anyway) cover cost of prescriptions, which, as I said, are free to diabetics on medication.

Nah, Im in south london! Im just wondering if someone was paying monthly health insurrance, ie like with a BUPA policy, would that cover prescriptions for diabetes? just curious....

 

[Jennie]

Now my GP is letting me have 100 strips per month I hardly need to buy any.
Previously I have purchased from the manufacturer and find at approx ?14 per
packet (50 strips) and free postage - it works out much cheaper than buying
from a pharmacy as they sell for about ?25 per packet!

I have also bought from ebay but the last 3 boxes I bought did not work with my
meter - something to do with only useable with USA meters so I wasted quite
a bit of money. I contacted Abbotts/Medisense to find this out and they replaced
one of the boxes, free of charge.


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