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#1
01-06-2009, 04:39 PM
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Do I need a prescription to buy extra test strips??
We are almost out of our ins covered test strips. Can I buy test strips over the counter? I've never looked- are they just sitting on a shelf somewhere in the pharmacy if you are paying cash? Or do I have to buy the test strips at the pharmacy under our prescription even tho they won't be covered by the insurance?
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Jessica Elizabeth (11) dx'd 2008 MM Revel & Minilink 
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#2
01-06-2009, 04:43 PM
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Yes, you can buy them without a prescription if you won't be using insurance. You might want to comparison shop and get the cheapest ones that are still accurate.
P.S. When I was about a week out of the hospital, I was away from home with my father one day and we realized I only had two test strips on me, so he suggested that I go over to the pharmacy and buy some strips. I went over, and asked to buy some accu chek aviva test strips. The pharmacist said, That'll be 89 dollars. I said Nevermind.
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-Jonah dx age 17, now 24 on Lantus via Solostar on Novolin R via Gentle Jet Injector monitoring with Dexcom G4 and accu chek aviva
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#3
01-06-2009, 04:44 PM
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You can buy them without a script. I had to do this once when I thought I was out and the pharmacy was closed.
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Shelley  Proud Mom to Adin 7 years old - dx'd @ 16 months - MDI now/Omnipod experience- Using the Dexcom
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#4
01-06-2009, 05:13 PM
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Oh yes, we had to do that for some months early on.
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Laurie Mom to Lia Grace, 12 yrs, dx 1/13/06 at age 5. Started with NPH and Regular, switched to Lantus and Novolog after three months and then started pumping after 1.5 years. CURRENTLY Pumping with the Animas Ping and using the Dexcom G4.
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#5
01-06-2009, 05:33 PM
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You can get them without a prescription but they are pretty darn expensive.
I did find a place online where they are cheaper if you have time to wait: http://www.diabetesnet.com/ishop/index.php?cPath=44 I am consindering purchasing some extras as this lower cost to have some on hand as back up in case we run low, just haven't done it yet. I keep hoping we will test less and build up a supply each month, but it hasn't happened so far. You could also check Ebay, again if you have time to wait.
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Jacque  Mom to: Logan, age 3, dx on 10/23/08 Blue Animas Ping started 12/20/09 ~ Novolog ~ Contact Detach Sets Dexcom CGMS started 2/23/09 ~ Dexcom Seven + upgrade 5/22/09 Kristen, age 19 - Non-D
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#6
01-06-2009, 06:58 PM
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I would contact your meter company. I got a BUNCH of coupons for Aviva strips when I asked...
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Sherry, mom of Lilli, 12, non D James, 9, non D Charlotte, 5, dx'd 2/08 pumping with a purple minimed 522 as of 5/08 wife of Bill, Grand Poobah daughter, sister, aunt, neighbor and mom to type 1s Be the change you wish to see in the world" Gandhi
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#7
01-06-2009, 07:05 PM
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Two things - call your endo and tell them that you need more strips than they wrote the RX for (300 a month is about normal) and then get that in hand tomorrow and bring it to the pharamcy. Have the pharmacy call the insurance to get an override (they do this all the time).
Don't pay out of pocket.
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#8
01-07-2009, 03:54 PM
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Most of the time they are behind the pharmacy counter or locked up and you have to ask for help. They can be expensive. Thank God I haven'thad to buy any out-of-pocket for a long time. I also remember when our first meter died. I paniced and ran to CVS and bought one. NOW I have learned you can get them for free if you ask.
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 Rhonda married to Terry for 14 years  Zach-nonD son 19yrs Sarah-nonD daughter 17yrs Tasha-D-daughter-11yrs-dx@6, Sept 22, 2005  (BS level was 1260)OneTouch Ping 1/14/09, Novolog  LOVING IT!!Homeschooling as of Jan/2011
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#9
01-08-2009, 04:25 PM
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Thanks for the tips. I'll try to get the ins to cover more- but they are incredibly dumb. Seriously, if I could reach thru the phone.....
 We can only get a 10 day supply of test strips at a time, 14 day supply of syringes and 30 day supply of insulin. Do you know how incredibly time consuming it is to keep track of what I can refill when, and then make the trip to the pharmacy? This is ridiculous- I have called & called & called, I get nowhere. Them "Sure we will cover 30 days" Me "then why can't our pharmacy get approval for more than 10 day?" Them "it must be your pharmacy" Me "no we have tried 2 different pharmacies, it must be you" Them "well my system says you can have a 30 day supply, so try again" I want to scream
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Jessica Elizabeth (11) dx'd 2008 MM Revel & Minilink
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#10
01-08-2009, 04:33 PM
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Try asking your insurance what pharmacy they recommend.
We spent 9 months buying our RX from our local pharmacy. We had to PREPAY for everything (test strips cost 93, btw  ) and then get reimbursed. Finally talked to the insurance about another matter and they asked why I wasn't buying them from their in-house mail order place. Three month supply, doesn't really save us anything and I'd rather use local, but you don't have to prepay and hope you get all the paperwork in right, etc. Us prepaying was their way of "punishing" us for using another pharmacy, but we didn't even know it (I kind of am miffed at our HR department about that one, I spent years paying for little RX bills thinking gee, we have a really high copay, when I was paying for the whole thing and didn't know to get reimbursed -- pharmacy didn't know, either).My point being that insurance companies do bizarre things to get more money out of you, straight out ask them what dance they want you to dance and don't miss a step. And thanks for the question, I've often wondered that.
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