• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Prescription stopped

G

guybrush

Member
My latest hba1c test was 41. The nurse has stopped my testing strips prescription and said I no longer need to test.

Is that right? I've only got diagnosed in December 2024 so I was testing a lot to figure out what foods effect me. I still want to test a lot but now I'm going to have to pay for strips, doesn't seem right to me. Does anyone know where is cheapest to get them? The monitor is a contour plus blue
 
guybrush said:
My latest hba1c test was 41. The nurse has stopped my testing strips prescription and said I no longer need to test.

Is that right? I've only got diagnosed in December 2024 so I was testing a lot to figure out what foods effect me. I still want to test a lot but now I'm going to have to pay for strips, doesn't seem right to me. Does anyone know where is cheapest to get them? The monitor is a contour plus blue
Click to expand...
Very well done on your result as you are now in normal range. Your GP is not obliged to prescribe test strips if you are not on medication with the potential to cause low blood glucose. You were originally taking gliclazide which is why you were prescribed them.
So yes you may now have to self fund. Check out Amazon for the price of test strips, but it can prove more economical to purchase a monitor which takes cheaper strips if they look expensive.
I would certainly say it is still worth testing just to keep an eye on where you are day to day, week to week or whatever you feel you need to keep on your new track.
 
Leadinglights said:
Very well done on your result as you are now in normal range. Your GP is not obliged to prescribe test strips if you are not on medication with the potential to cause low blood glucose. You were originally taking gliclazide which is why you were prescribed them.
So yes you may now have to self fund. Check out Amazon for the price of test strips, but it can prove more economical to purchase a monitor which takes cheaper strips if they look expensive.
I would certainly say it is still worth testing just to keep an eye on where you are day to day, week to week or whatever you feel you need to keep on your new track.
Click to expand...
Yeah I was on glicozide. I'm not anymore. I'm still on 3 metformin a day. Not sure if that is actually doing anything or not.

I've definitely seen a jump up in my BG. I'm definitely struggling to keep in under 7. Whereas before with the glicozide it was easy
 
guybrush said:
Yeah I was on glicozide. I'm not anymore. I'm still on 3 metformin a day. Not sure if that is actually doing anything or not.

I've definitely seen a jump up in my BG. I'm definitely struggling to keep in under 7. Whereas before with the glicozide it was easy
Click to expand...
The price of the strips for your monitor doesn't look too bad, but postage can be a bit of a killer so shop around.
 
I had my strips stopped a number of years ago after I had been off Gliclzide for a while. I only got 50 a month, so I also self funded more.
 
Sorry to hear you’ve had your prescription for strips removed @guybrush :(

Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for GP surgeries to refuse strips for people who aren’t on hypo-inducing medication. There seems a reticence to prescribe strips for menu-adjustment (it’s a long story, but there was research that showed they could cause distress). The official guidance only requires strips to be provided to check for hypos. :(
 
Contour Plus strips are £8.49 per 50 at Chemist4U. Free delivery over £30 so I used to get 4 pots at a time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top