Libre 2

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Carl1645

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Type 2
Hi, I have recently been diagnosed with type 2. I have been using the finger pricking tests but came across the libre 2 device. I sent off for my free tester and am using it at the moment. My only concern is the cost. £57 for 14 days! How do people afford it? Can it be got on prescription?
 
Type 1s get it free on prescription which is probably why you see it spoken about so much. Type 2s can get it under some circumstances (which are improving all the time).

Not recommending you lie, but If you were to express to your diabetes team how stressed and anxious the condition is making you and that you are finger pricking many times a day, you might find you are eligible to get it on prescription.
 
workaway32 said:
Not recommending you lie, but If you were to express to your diabetes team how stressed and anxious the condition is making you and that you are finger pricking many times a day, you might find you are eligible to get it on prescription.
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It's also necessary to be on multiple daily injections of insulin (MDI). (Which is specifically defined in the guidelines to mean just more than one injection, whereas for type 1 I think we'd assume it referred to a basal/bolus regime.)
 
workaway32 said:
Type 1s get it free on prescription which is probably why you see it spoken about so much. Type 2s can get it under some circumstances (which are improving all the time).

Not recommending you lie, but If you were to express to your diabetes team how stressed and anxious the condition is making you and that you are finger pricking many times a day, you might find you are eligible to get it on prescription.
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Many Type 2 are not even prescribed blood glucose testing strips.
 
As Type 2 and only dietary managed or oral meds I think it highly unlikely you would get a Libre on prescription. It is my personal opinion that quite rightly priority should be given to people on insulin where the condition is much harder to manage but even they have to struggle to get them prescribed and many self fund.
Make the best use of the information your trial period gives you for making adjustments to your dietary regime.
 
You won’t be able to get the libre on prescription. I’m on multiple daily injections of insulin, testing more than 8 times a day and been self funding sensors for many years and still not eligible on prescription. Even if you meet the guidelines which you wouldn’t meet, those guidelines aren’t followed by all regions.
 
workaway32 said:
Type 1s get it free on prescription which is probably why you see it spoken about so much. Type 2s can get it under some circumstances (which are improving all the time).
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These are the NICE guidelines for England but that does not mean ALL people with Type 1 get Libre on prescription. There are still many who do not.
 
But...when I was in the position of possibly having to self-fund I considered that even if I couldn't afford to do it constantly I could, at least, buy them occasionally and get some useful information to go forward with.

Luckily (really do I mean that?!) I am type 1 and was able with a little effort to get a consultant to prescribe them when I eventually saw a consultant.
 
Peely66 said:
But...when I was in the position of possibly having to self-fund I considered that even if I couldn't afford to do it constantly I could, at least, buy them occasionally and get some useful information to go forward with.
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Yes, the value to people taking insulin seems pretty clear. For people not doing that I think the value for continuous use seems much more questionable. (I think I could make a reasonable case for using one a couple of times a year (showing 24 hour profiles alongside HbA1c seems like it ought to be of value) but much more than that seems more doubtful. Especially when you're not even willing to fund test strips.)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Yes, the value to people taking insulin seems pretty clear. For people not doing that I think the value for continuous use seems much more questionable. (I think I could make a reasonable case for using one a couple of times a year (showing 24 hour profiles alongside HbA1c seems like it ought to be of value) but much more than that seems more doubtful. Especially when you're not even willing to fund test strips.)
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Did the OP say anything about not being willing to fund test strips?
 
workaway32 said:
Type 1s get it free on prescription which is probably why you see it spoken about so much. Type 2s can get it under some circumstances (which are improving all the time).

Not recommending you lie, but If you were to express to your diabetes team how stressed and anxious the condition is making you and that you are finger pricking many times a day, you might find you are eligible to get it on prescription.
Click to expand...

The NHS is on its knees and people are struggling to get the care they need. Encouraging someone to lie and potentially divert funds from others who actually need rather than want something is immoral IMO.
 
Peely66 said:
Did the OP say anything about not being willing to fund test strips?
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Sorry, I meant for a healthcare system not willing to fund test strips.

I'm fine with individuals doing what they want, though I'd still question whether they're really getting value for money buying sensors continuously. (I can certainly imagine it could be useful having a sensor while you're ill just as an easy way to monitor things. Similarly if you're on holiday (or for some other reason) eating unfamiliar food it could be of value.)
 
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