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Optium plus / freestyle optium

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H

HappyHelen

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello

I am a regular reader if this forum and would like to thank you all for all of the great advice I have picked up from here. I would like to ask a question.

I use optium plus test strips and was notified about a month ago that they were changing their name to freestyle optium. I sent the link from abbots website to my Gp in the hope that they could just swap them over. However they seem unable to cope with this change and so far have (1) removed optium plus from my repeat list completely and not replaced it with anything (2) prescribed freestyle lite instead which I have explained about 3 times now is no good for my machine and I cannot use (3) today they have made manual corrections to the prescription which the pharmacist has said are not correct and strictly he should not prescribe based on this, however he will still prescribe them for me as I explained the traumas I had been having.

I have emailed the doctor 4 times about this, have spoken to reception, one of the gp's and the practice manager and still they haven't actually managed to swap the names on my repeat. They say that they can only see freestyle in their system and if they put that in, freestyle lite comes up rather than freestyle optium. I have sent my gp the product code, provided the new name and given the gp the phone number of abbotts but still it is not correct. I am at a loss for what to do next. Does anyone have any advice on how they have managed the change?

Thank you! 🙂
 
Hello Helen that sounds horrible

Is there a prescription clerk at your practice ?

The one at mine changed things for me on her own bat - I did have a slight problem in that they dropped the number of strips - but I had that rectified on the next prescription.

You could ask to speak to the medical secretary and explain the problem and emphasise that the stress will be having an adverse effect on your blood sugars.
 
Are the optium plus strips for the Optium Xceed monitor? I am too lazy to go upstairs and look! If they are, we have 2 boxes with very limited life on them (31st Dec or Jan I believe) and if you can use them you are welcome to have them. If you want to PM me your address I can get them in the post to you on Monday. I must emphasize they have only a few weeks until their expiry date, but I would be pleased if we could find a good home for them. When my son was diagnosed last December we were given 2 different monitors, then at clinic got given a third, and luckily we were prescribed strips for all 3 to begin with. We only keep the Optium machine for ketones and as a back up now, but the strips are sitting in a box and will go to waste shortly if I can't find a home for them. You are welcome to them if they are any use to you.
 
Welcome HappyHelen

You really have gone above and beyond and done everything you could have done. Hopefully, the pharmacist who sorted out the problem at least for this prescription, will be able to instruct the GP how to prescribe wha you actually need.

If you want to dispose of the incorrectly prescribed strips, please don't take them back to dispensing chemist, as they have to destroy them. Instead, hang onto them until you have a proper supply of strips you can use (as you might need to resort to buying meter that can use them), then donate to someone who can't get them on free prescription, either via this board to a UK based type 2 or overseas via IDDT - see http://www.iddt.org/here-to-help/id...aigns-to-help-people-in-developing-countries/
 
Thanks Margie. I hadn't thought of the secretary. I don't think they have a prescription clerk. The secretary will be my next port of call. I am also 29 weeks pregnant which they know and so have emphasised how important it is that I have a constant supply of sticks. So far this has been the most stressful thing during pregnancy and no-one at the practice seems to realise what a big deal it is.

Thanks for the advice.
 
Hi Tina. Yes the sticks are for the optium xceed. If you are sure you don't need them I would love to have them. I am testing several times a day due to the pregnancy so the short shelf life is no problem at all. I just need to work out how to pm you now 🙂

Thanks to you all for replying - I have had much more sense from you all in one afternoon than I have had in 2 weeks at the doctors. Thanks again.
 
Helen - how to PM - click on Tina's name in this thread, which produces a box below name, then click on the third line "send a private message to...." which opens up a window to write message, end by clicking "submit message" and it'll go.
 
Good luck with new arrival ! You have enough on to worry about test strips ! Why isnt life easy :confused: Have you tried emiling the manufaturer they might be able to sort prob 🙂
 
Thanks Copepod. When I click Tina's name I get the choice of view public profile, find more posts by Tina or add Tina to my buddy list but I can't see one for sending a pm. Sorry if I am not doing it correctly.

Hobie - thanks! I did call abbots and they have said they will send me a box to see me through so they have been helpful but I would just like it sorted with the GP so that I know I will be able to reorder sticks next time I need them without all this hassle. Hopefully I can sort it before the baby arrives as I expect I won't have as much time then!
 
Have another go Helen - you might find the option had magically appeared.
 
Hi Margie. Sorry but I still can't see the option for sending a PM. Sorry for taking up everyone's time with this. It's not because I am only a junior member is it? Thank you.
 
I'm wondering if the PIP code has actually changed or if it's just the product name? If the code hasn't changed then they could probably continue ordering Optium Plus strips and getting 'Freedom Optium' on the box. I will see what happens with me soon as I use the Xceed as my back up meter and need some more strips for it 🙂

Sounds a right faff! Hope you can get it sorted soon Helen, and good luck with the baby! 🙂
 
My daughter uses those strips and we haven't been told they are changing - had a repeat script last week and were still called Optium plus :confused:

How were you told they were changing - have others been told this too? We go through her 100 strip script in 3 weeks max so will have to send another request in quite soon if it's going to take them ages to sort We don't have strips for any other meter - gulp!

Hope you get yours soon Helen - you shouldn't have to fight for them:(
 
Just checked Abbots website and the Ketone strips are changing/have changed too - think I need to have a word with someone on Monday <sigh>
 
Hi Northerner - apparently the PIP code has stayed the same but the pharmacist said today that for the time being it is okay to order optium plus but he doesn't know for how long this will work. At some point the brand name optium plus will just be discontinued. I don't know enough about the GP / pharmacist's systems to know what happens at that point if the GP asks for optium plus.

Hi MeanMom - I found out about the change as the optium plus boxes had a yellow label around it warning of the change. It didn't specify a date but just said it was changing soon. Maybe call your GP and see what they advise. I thought warning my GP in advance would have helped but I'm not sure it did. I would also say try not to wait until you are on your last box before re-ordering - that way if there is a delay, you should have time to sort it out.
 
Some of the boxes now have an outer box saying the name is changing. I think it was also mentioned in the last issue of Balance.

As I said I was fortunate that the prescription clerk just updated my request. At the time I created a thread on here about it.

The surgeries should be aware of the change. When insulatard changed its name (it was only a minor change) they were late changing it and the Drs couldn't find it on the system, but the clerk knew what the problem was.
 
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