Guidelines for prescribing test strips in Scotland

[cazscot]

Was at the nurse this afternoon (see rant thread) and she said the new guidlines are out for Scotland (SIGN??).

Basically they have been told that if you are T2 are are managing your diabetes well you will NOT be prescribed test strips (even though the reason it is being managed is because you are taking control of the situation and testing), the HbA1c measurement will be enough. T1 and T2 that are not well controlled will be allowed test strips. Give nurse her due she is unhappy with the situation and has had her knuckles wrapped for putting too many test strips on peoples prescriptions...

She also said if you are T2 and have test strips prescribed keep ordering them becuase if you dont they may be taken off the prescriptions. She also said there is a large list of medicines that will no longer be prescribed ie ones that you are expected to buy over the counter. It is only going to get worse next year when all prescriptions become free of charge in Scotland...

Just going to go and have a search and see if I can find the guidelines...

 

[am64]

got mine today from gp ...no problem i said that i was testing morn and last thing at night as trying to work out DP ...they were fine with it

 

[lyndasw]

No test strips for me either 😡

 

[AlisonM]

F***!!!! I might have guessed. I won't be able to use SIGN to press my case then.😡😡😡😡

 

[cazscot]

Just reading it just now (only at page 23 of 170).

Basically if you are T2 with an HbA1c below 8 and are not on sulphonylueas or insulin you will not be prescribed test strips 😡

and I quote... "Routine self monitoring of blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes who are using oral glucose-lowering drugs (with the exception of sulphonylueas) is not recommended" 😡

 

[Vicsetter]

You can read the Sign document here:http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/116/index.html

2.1 Lifestyle Management states that: Self monitoring of blood glucose may be considered in the following groups of patients with Type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin:
those at increased risk of hypoglycaemia
those experiencing acute illness
those undergoing significant changes in pharmacotherapy or fasting (e.g. during Ramadan
those with unstable or poor glycaemic control (HbA1c>8%)
those who are pregnant or planning pregnancy.

I suspect you could challenge your GP if you meet either the 2 points I have highlighted and don't get strips. As usual there are some GP practices that do not adhere to the Guidelines.

 

[Northerner]

That's so short-sighted. Why 8%? Have any of them ever seen that graph about the relationship between A1C and complications? It might make some sense to me if a person's A1C had been recorded around 5-6% on a few successive occasions, which might indicate that the person had a handle on good management, but not newly-diagnosed or people above 6.5%

 

[Peter C]

F***!!!! I might have guessed. I won't be able to use SIGN to press my case then.😡😡😡😡

If your last HbA1c was 8.4 you should get the strips under SIGN guidelines !
What have they got to say about people on gliptins ? and Ladas ?

 

[topcat123]

oh goody🙄

something else to bring up with the d nurse next week !!! was at nurse today getting my hba1c done will find out the results next week

more to the point what the b.....y h..l are they playing at, we in scotland pending where we live struggle trying to get the health care that we need never mind more red tape! no doubt in other counties too😡

 

[AlisonM]

If your last HbA1c was 8.4 you should get the strips under SIGN guidelines !
What have they got to say about people on gliptins ? and Ladas ?

Their attitude is I don't need strips unless I'm on insulin and they also took me off Gliclazide so they wouldn't have to prescribe strips for hypos. I've only had one real hypo while on Sitagliptin and that's not enough to persuade them. I can't win.

 

[recyclequeen]

can't get mine on precription either, type 2 should not test i'm told, but by testing i can work out what foods increase my bs, and since i have been testing i have lost 2and a half stone.

i buy my own test strips and lancets

angie😡