Hospital refuse to prescribe me any Coaguchek XS Strips

[zee112]

So here in the UK, a tub of 24 testing strips costs around £64 without VAT. With a prescription, I can buy these for £8.65. I recently asked for another prescription, 3 months after my last and they said they won't be prescribing any for me because I already have enough. I have told the clinic that I have been travelling a lot to different countries, testing under different climates and its because of this that I am able to keep my INR under control. The anticoagulant clinic that insists on testing in conjunction with me is completely out of touch. Therefore I shall be purchasing my own strips and taking control of things completely myself. I have never been so annoyed in my entire life with the health care system here in the UK. Just thought I'd share my annoyance and let it out.

 

[zee112]

Sorry, I forgot to say they also said I shouldn't be testing weekly!

 

[pellicle]

That last post is icing isn't it

 

[pellicle]

Still, it makes sense, with so many zoos closing the monkeys and jackasses need to get employment some where

 

[zee112]

You've hit the nail on the head there Pellicle

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi Zee - Are you saying that the clinc have changed their policy about prescribing the strips to you ? Or are they restricting you ? Can your GP prescribe the strips ?

 

[pellicle]

Hi again Zee112 just so you don't feel too bad, in Australia the system does not even offer this as a prescription, so I've had the choice of stay with a clinic or go it alone from the start. I pay AU$160 for a bottle of 24 strips (so about $6.70 per test). The "options" are not well thought out, for you can't be getting tested "for life" by a clinic, but it seems there is a loophole in the legislation or special exemption to allow this. You may get a laugh out of this one (http://qml.com.au/Portals/0/PDF/Warfarin Publications/WarfRegFormInfoSheetINT_1227.pdf) Basically they can drop you any time they want to (leaving you essentially without care and or going to your doctor for a script for warfarin and him having to specifically order a one off INR test to make a determination. So that our "Usual Care" ... almost sounds ironic doesn't it

 

[pellicle]

and this is the "RULE 3" which one needs to be exempted from: http://pathology.mater.org.au/for-doctors/test-ordering/rule-3-exemption

 

[pellicle]

ohh, and you have to pay $250 IIRC at the start ... which I did ...

 

[LondonAndy]

Hi Zee - here in London I get my test strips from my GP, not my anti-coagulation clinic. And I definitely test weekly. Though I know some CCGs have not caught up with the NICE guidance that self-managing is best practice - shame on them!

 

[user 16827]

Hi Zee, my uk doctor agreed to 24 strips per 6 months, i don't use my anticoag clinic i also buy the strips myself as i like to test weekly. I'm sure your GP would give a prescription at 6 monthly intervals and that would save you a lot of money over time and just buy them if you run short.

 

[zee112]

My apologies for the late reply, also it seems I am unable to quite anyone's reply. Paleowoman - They've changed their policy yes, they want me to e-mail my INR results once every two months now as my INR is always in range, but they fail to realise that it's in range because of my weekly testing. They used to prescribe 24 strips per prescription which allowed me to get through 3-4 months at a time. I will try to ask my GP. Thank you leadville and LondonAndy for your advice. Yes, I'll try to ask my GP. Wow pellicle, we do tend to have it easy over here at times. Even if I purchased 24 directly from Roche, I'd be able to get it without taxes working out at £64 which is like 109 Australian dollars. I guess I'll see if my GP will be happy to prescribe it or if he throws a sissy fit. If he throws a fit, then I'll just happily purchase 24 for £64. Thank you all for your replies.

 

[Paleowoman]

zee112 - In addition to asking your GP for prescriptions for strips you might also write a letter to the anticoagulation clinic explaining exactly how testing the numbers of times you do helps keep your INR in such good range. It’s often the same with diabetics who get good control, the GP surgery will stop prescribing blood glucose testing strips. When this happened to me I was advised by a diabetes charity to write a letter explaining exactly how I use the testing strips to help keep good control and why this was important. The senior partner at the GP practice then said I could have as many strips as I needed. (There's currently a tecnical problem with the forum which is why we can't quote, edit, format or even write separate paragraphs !)

 

[pellicle]

zee112

also it seems I am unable to quite anyone's reply

yes, you'll see the thread on this in technical support ... [quote ]I guess I'll see if my GP will be happy to prescribe it or if he throws a sissy fit. If he throws a fit, then I'll just happily purchase 24 for £64[/quote] yeah, I'd probably do that (I thought LondonAndy ssuggestion was a good one{seconded by @leadville} ). If they do throw a wobbly on you then I'd consider consulting with a different doctor. However given your profession and experience (and a bit of data and some NICE guidelines to back you up) I'd say they'll be fine with it.[br] Best Wishes

 

[Protimenow]

Here in the United States, I've been able to get my strips without a prescription. I don't understand WHY you would need a prescription for this kind of testing. Is a person going to hurt himself by testing TOO often? Is a person who isn't taking an anticoagulant and tests anyway going to be harmed by it?

There's research (if I recall Duke University Clinic) that determined that if your INR is too low FOR A WEEK, the risks of stroke go WAY up. Testing weekly is not only a good idea--it can be life saving.

These nimrods who believe that if you're stable for a month or two, you only need to test every month or two are seriously misguided.

I'm with you regarding weekly testing.

As far as buying strips is concerned, you may be able to get them online (I won't say where, but you can probably guess), but they may have to be exported from the United States.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

I don't understand WHY you would need a prescription for this

to claim them back on (or get the subsidised by) the NHS ... or so I assume. They are issued free in countries like Norway

These nimrods who believe that if you're stable for a month or two, you only need to test every month or two are seriously misguided.

myself I get into trouble saying things less strongly ... but "Hear Hear"

but what would I know ... I don't have MD after my name

 

[lance]

Original poster, I feel your pain. Differences in philosophy about what should be and what is. We're not robots built in the same factory to the same specifications. You've been travelling, different countries, climate and diet. It's probably more the case of what the health care can afford. Ontario is the same, I pay the full cost of my supplies and as a result, they have no control. To-day I was head to head with red tape and bureaucracy concerning a comparison test--lab vs XS. Lab 4.1, monitor 4.0. Rarely am I out of range so this being unusual I had to comparison test. All I can say is I'm tthankful, very thankful I can test myself because the other way is awful. There's nothing like peace of mind.

 

[pellicle]

. All I can say is I'm tthankful, very thankful I can test myself because the other way is awful. There's nothing like peace of mind.

This!

Lance, well phrased

 

[Protimenow]

Peace of mind is great. Trusting your meter definitely can ease your mind. The labs aren't always right, and if you have a value on your meter that concerns you, it's always a good idea to see if the lab values are close. (See, I CAN write one post without mention the name of a meter)

 

[lance]

Labs aren't always correct--that's for sure.
Spouse tested on XS the same time I did about 30 min. following vein draw the results of which were sent to doctor's office. XS said 3.2.
Welll doctor's office phoned this a.m. advising spouse's lab result was 4.1. Spouse advised to reduce dose by 50 per cent in the coming week. So doctor's advice is being ignored as is the lab test result. The range is 2-3 for a-fib. So spouse's weekly dose will be reduced from 44 mgs. to 42 mgs. And we will test in 4 days.
Doctor's office also advised they have two separate test results and aren't confusing mine with his.
Shrugging shoulders--thank heaven for XS.