Diabetics: Where can you buy Blood Glucose Test Strips

Royal_Panthera_Tigris

I'm looking for advice about where i can buy test strips. My partner has found out that he is a type 2 diabetic. It's diet controlled so he can't get blood glucose monitoring strips on prescription. We have decided to buy the machine & strips ourselves.

I've seen a number of reasonably priced -or free- monitors, but the strips which accompany them are very expensive! :eek: I find it difficult to believe that they cost that much to make. I have hunted for cheaper, generic brands but so far with no joy.

Does anyone have advice on where we can find both the machine & the strips at a reasonable price?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. A big thanks to everyone who has posted advice on money saving in the past - i have learned how to manage my finances much better as a result of reading the info posted here! :T

pogofish

Cheap/giveaway meters are the push manufacturers give to get you locked into long-term use of expensive test strips.

So to that end, there is not a great deal of variation in their prices - all of which are on the wrong side of flaming extortionate.

Even the likes of Boots, who do produce a fairly cheap and good meter own-brand, fall back on expensive strips to feed it.

The only brand I've seen with cheap strips is Codefree, about seven quid per fifty - but I've also seen some pretty consistant concerns about its accuracy from users, so its up to you if you want to risk that one.

Another thing to remember is that a diabetic can get the VAT on strips deducted at point of sale by filling-out a declaration each time they purchase - which helps a little.

On getting them prescribed, are you getting this from your GP? Many health authorities have removed test strips from prescription in the last couple of years for type-II as a cost saving measure, despite all the known benefits of good management and regular/accurate measurement is all part of that. However, they can still prescribe strips if the individual's condition warrants it - Has your partner got any side/secondary conditions or obvious complication symptoms? If so, these are all good reasons to go back and argue that more responsive/accurate measurement is now vital to his ongoing management.

Another possibility is that he gets referred to a proper diabetic clinic - these are generally less restricted in prescribing policy, more up to date and considerably more proactive on long term management issues. Also they tend to be more efficent overall and if he's not going to one, he should be!

Royal_Panthera_Tigris

I hadn't heard about codefree. I'll do some research into them, thanks. He is getting an eye test at the diabetes clinic soon so we will ask about the possibility of getting a prescription there.

I agree that the NHS is guilty of false economy. If diabetics aren't given help to manage their condition efficiently after their diagnosis then it means more medical treatment is needed later. This isn't just, in my opinion, negligence towards the individual - it's also more costly to the whole service in the long run. :doh:

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I used to buy them from ebay & never had a problem with them. Just make sure you ask what the use by date is.

DUTR

Royal_Panthera_Tigris wrote: »

I'm looking for advice about where i can buy test strips. My partner has found out that he is a type 2 diabetic. It's diet controlled so he can't get blood glucose monitoring strips on prescription. We have decided to buy the machine & strips ourselves.

I've seen a number of reasonably priced -or free- monitors, but the strips which accompany them are very expensive! :eek: I find it difficult to believe that they cost that much to make. I have hunted for cheaper, generic brands but so far with no joy.

Does anyone have advice on where we can find both the machine & the strips at a reasonable price?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. A big thanks to everyone who has posted advice on money saving in the past - i have learned how to manage my finances much better as a result of reading the info posted here! :T

I don't know what area you are in, around here, they have forums for diabetics, last 6 weeks and were very good, self testing for type 2 is not so necessary as the change is gradual, so testing once a month only for curiosity and the strips will last a year, if the reading was say 5.7mol/l today it won't change that much tomorrow, but watching the portions is great, I bought a tester from asda and like you say the strips are expensive, worst bit was when I was telling my Mum, she said she had a spare unused one with 100 strips :mad: , I won't know how accurate they are until the next Hba1c test, which is what is the main concern to keep under control.

Steve-o

Royal_Panthera_Tigris wrote: »

Does anyone have advice on where we can find both the machine & the strips at a reasonable price?

Call up the manufacturer of a meter that you'd like, and say that you are thinking of upgrading from one of their previous models. They usually send you a new one out for free. Strips are cheaper from Ebay than shops, because people sell the ones that they get on prescription (good for buyers needing to buy their own, but wasteful for the NHS).