Diabetics in UK Suffer Rationing of Glucose-Testing Strips
Many denied tools to monitor blood sugar levels
Access to blood glucose test strips vital to help diabetics manage their condition is being restricted against government guidance, a charity says.
Of about 2,200 people who answered a question about the strips as part of a survey for Diabetes UK, 39% had had prescriptions refused or restricted.
It says restrictions are being imposed by local health managers to save money.
But a spokesman representing Clinical Commissioning Groups said the strips had been over-prescribed in the past.
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As a person who has known a great many diabetics, it's a little hard to 'overperscribe' something which can only be used once, and needs to be used anywhere from two to five times a day in order to effectively control the condition without suffering more debilitating effects - which have a significantly higher cost of treatment.
It's only "free" (taxpayer-funded, via the NHS) test strips which are being "rationed".
You can still buy them from a chemist or off Amazon-UK for as little as ?6.99 per 50 (the brand I just looked up, "SD Codefree Blood Glucose Monitor/Monitoring Test/Testing Kit Replacement Strips").
This is what happens when people get used to the government providing everything "for free" ... they think that if something not available "for free" it's not available at all.
We'll get to that point in the States as well: witness the Flukes of this country wailing that being against forcing insurers to provide "free" birth control pills was akin to wanting to ban them.