Old diabetic, newly worried

[PollyT]

Hi. I’ve had type 1 for 31 years. Thankfully on a pump with a glucose sensor so have been lucky. Not new to diabetes UK as I have donated for years, but was motivated to sign up after my husband (also type 2) called for a repeat prescription and was told he now has to buy test strips, pioglitazone and ramipril over the counter. Any one else heard the same?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi. I’ve had type 1 for 31 years. Thankfully on a pump with a glucose sensor so have been lucky. Not new to diabetes UK as I have donated for years, but was motivated to sign up after my husband (also type 2) called for a repeat prescription and was told he now has to buy test strips, pioglitazone and ramipril over the counter. Any one else heard the same?

Who told him he had to buy over the counter?

 

[Robin]

According to the NHS website, pioglitazone and rampiril are only available on prescription, not over the counter.
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pioglitazone/
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/ramipril/

 

[PollyT]

Who told him he had to buy over the counter?

The people at the local prescription service that covers a number of surgeries. They said it was a new nhs ruling and that he could take it up with his GP. This would be a GP who recently enacted a new partnership with people who openly tell their patients that can’t wait for the nhs to be privatised so they can get rid of the scroungers - which was another conversation my husband recently had with them. When we looked, there was a message saying medicines that can be bought over the counter will no longer be prescribed printed on the bottom of his old script.

 

[PollyT]

Thanks Robin. I have tried looking it up on online and we didn’t think it seemed likely, but this is apparently what the service are telling people.

 

[Ljc]

I have just checked the patient leaflet for Ramipril and they are definitely wrong, it is prescription only

 

[Ljc]

Sadly unless someone is on medications that can cause hypo’s many Gp practices refuse to prescribe test strips , I believe this is a cost cutting measure that’s going to end up costing the nhs more money due to complications..
If after taking this up with your practice still refuses many here use this one as it has the cheapest strips we know of £8 for 50
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-G...&linkId=f39210144fdc26c27738e45b6d957003&th=1

 

[PollyT]

Thanks Lin

 

[Ljc]

Oops I meant to say pioglitazoneis definitely only prescription only

I hope you can get this sorted quickly . If they still say no, let us know , you could also contact the helpline
03451232399

 

[Lizzzie]

That's crazy! Just wanted to say following and good luck!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about the experience you are having with your surgery. It certainly doesn’t seem right about the prescription-only medications, though unfortunately we do have many members with T2 who have been refused test strips - which seems a very short sighted measure if you have someone who is motivated to use the information they provide to improve their self-management and reduce the risk of (extremely expensive) long-term complications of elevated glucose levels.

 

[trophywench]

Test strips yeas - but not BP medication (Ramipril) or a glitazone. Diabetes UK have a very helpful Helpline - I seriously recommend you make use of it!

 

[PollyT]

Thank you all. He’s going to make a go appointment in the new year to clarify it. Strongly hoping there have been crossed wires somewhere, but the whole idea of fighting to live is a far bigger shadow than it used to be. And on that cheery note, let’s eat, drink and be merry 🙂