Where/How can I get a new Glucose Meter?

banie01

Hi Folks,
I'm a type 2 diabetic and my treatment regime will be changing soon.
I will need to go back to regular testing to check the efficacy of the new meds....
However I lost my meter(One touch Ultra easy) and don't know where to get a new one?
I got mine originally from the diabetes clinic in the MWRH, but apart from the 1st visit there my care has been managed by my GP.
I know it may seem a stupid question but I just want to check if anyone knows where to get one before I contact my GP.
Thanks

tbh

If you get one from the chemist, you'll have to pay. Contact your care team, they should be able to sort you one out for free.

robinph

The GP might give you a prescription for one, but I'm not sure, they will certainly charge you for the pleasure though even if the prescription is free.

Easiest and quickest and cheapest method would be a trip to the diabetes nurse who will probably have stacks of them liying about the place that the last sales rep dropped off to them.

colrow

Theres free meters, I think, on www.diabetes.co.uk

robinph

Stupidly didn't read the terms, was trying to get myself one of those small ones and "guessed" wrong about what meter I currently had, now it won't let me get one.

Offer open to insulin users resident in the UK/ROI aged 16 or over only, excluding existing users of a OneTouch® UltraEasy®, OneTouch® Ultra®2, OneTouch® Vita® and OneTouch® UltraSmart® Blood Glucose Meters.

I just picked one that sounded kind of familiar.

colrow

Wot a bugger, can u "ask a friend" to apply for you ?

After all its not the meter that makes them money, but the strips.

I've got an Abbots Optium Exceed, and they sent me free batteries, a calibration kit, a usb lead and software.

robinph

Thats the same one as I have been using at the moment actually, just didn't see it in the list.

Think I'll "phone a friend".

banie01

Thanks for the input Folks!
Much appreciated!

FluffyCat

tbh wrote: »

If you get one from the chemist, you'll have to pay. Contact your care team, they should be able to sort you one out for free.

We get them sent to us all the time for free so some pharmacies do have them for nothing. As there are so many different strips, not all work with them.

Redmal

I got mine for free from my pharmacy. They made sure and told me that they supply the strips for them also. It's definitely worth asking.

On a similar note, does anyone know where to get the re-fillable insulin pens from?

robinph

Redmal wrote: »

On a similar note, does anyone know where to get the re-fillable insulin pens from?

They seem to have stopped doing them for a the insulins I'm on, although I did get a very nice pen when in New Zealand and I had run out. Cost a few quid that trip though.

Thee was a small mention in a recent copy of the Diabetes UK magazine I saw recently about various manufactures and them changing their ranges to be only one type of pre filled pen for all insulins.

Sauve

We always have free meters in our pharmacy- the reps for various companies give them to us to give out free to patients.
Re: insulin pens - they are still avalable but not very popular anymore, so a pharmacy might have to order one in for you. Shouldnt take more than a couple of days though.

Toto Wolfcastle

I was in a pharmacy with a diabetic who was getting strips for his meter. They didn't have any so they just handed him a meter so that he could use the strips provided with it until they got them in. They said it would be handy to have a spare one. So some pharmacies will give them out for free.

tbh

I stand corrected - thanks guys, handy to know.