T1s on MDI - blood test strips

[MeanMom]

We get 100 on K 's script which means I order a new script every 20 days or so to make sure we don't run out We also have keytone strips for same meter - they come in box of 10 which I just reorder when we have used 5 - rarely use them thank goodness.

Have never had script queried but would prefer if more strips per script as everything else comes in much bigger quantities and I would have thought it would save money in admin at least if only got a script say every six weeks or so

 

[Northerner]

...Am curious about Northerner and the Optium Xceed strips, mostly as to how many of the ketone strips he can wrangle out of them? They gave me a cap of 10 a month (which is more than enough for a fair few months) but did make me wonder if he had seen any cap limit on them as well?

I wouldn't really know - I have only had one repeat and that was because the previous box was approaching expiry. I don't get ill very often, and not ill enough to need to test for ketones, but I think it probably works out at similar cost to the urine strips where I might use a couple then have to throw the rest away because I'd opened the pot. If I did need to test for ketones I would want it to be the most accurate indicator 🙂

As far as I know there is no cap on anything I get. My medications per repeat should last me 8 weeks, but things do get mixed up from time to time - I've never been told I'm ordering too much.

 

[Tina63]

At my son's last GP appointment we asked for some more ketone strips as his box was nearing expiry. We got a box fine, and they are now on his repeat list so we can get more as and when we request them, but he did just make the point (very nicely I must say) that they are very expensive, so only use them sparingly. We haven't used any apart from the first week after diagnosis, though there have been a couple of times my son should have, but he refused, I think fearing hospital admission. Luckily each time I got him to drink loads and inject insulin, and his levels came down, so one presumes ketones (if present) did too.

 

[Northerner]

At my son's last GP appointment we asked for some more ketone strips as his box was nearing expiry. We got a box fine, and they are now on his repeat list so we can get more as and when we request them, but he did just make the point (very nicely I must say) that they are very expensive, so only use them sparingly. We haven't used any apart from the first week after diagnosis, though there have been a couple of times my son should have, but he refused, I think fearing hospital admission. Luckily each time I got him to drink loads and inject insulin, and his levels came down, so one presumes ketones (if present) did too.

I think they work out at about ?2 per strip 🙂

 

[teapot8910]

I'm currently on 100 strips every 20-25 days, the only time I've been questioned about re-ordering was before my holiday abroad last year. The GP I see at my surgery is also Diabetic so I'd like to think if I needed more I wouldn't have too much trouble! 🙂

 

[lauraw1983]

I have the Xceed monitor.

When I got my first script I got 100 BG strips, and 100(!!!) ketone ones. At the time I just took everything away and looked at it all later. Because my levels were still high then I was using a few ketone ones.

I asked for a repeat before Xmas, went to the pharmacy to get it (23rd Dec, so right before xmas), and luckily I checked in the pharmacy what I had (bag seemed too big...) and it was another 100 ketone ones and not BG ones!!!😱

The pharmacist was able to give me an emergency one with no problems, and kept the other ones as I said it was a complete waste for me to take them as I would never use them in time.

I asked for the right thing, but the GP prescribing obviously never paid much attention and just picked the first thing with "optium" in the name from the computer! 😱

Got the right one this time after phoning, but I am going to ask to up it to more than 100 a time, or else I feel like I will be spending far too much time running back and forth for something I will always need anyway - stupid!

 

[christine.h]

My Gp give me 200 a month and upto now 100 needles this time got 200 needles they were also ones who did not listen when I said I think I am type 1

 

[imtrying]

Thanks everyone for all your replies. It's good just to get an idea of what I should and maybe shouldn't be expecting. I've just never had to ask for a repeat so frequently before...I think I only had to do it every 4 months (I have a 5 boxes of insulin (with 5 cartridges in each) for both Novorapid and Lantus so now having to do it more than once a month is going to have to take some getting used to!

Plus I've spent years not testing at all and being told I should be....just weird that when I do I start getting questioned about testing too much, yet all I'm doing is following guidelines and do what I've been told to do for a change!!!

Ah well...the joys! lol