Spanish scientific societies specialized in the management of diabetes - the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN), the Spanish Society of Diabetes (SED) and the Spanish Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (SEEP) - have warned of the damage that could mean forPatients with diabetes the reduction of the number of reactive strips and glucometers consistent with the centralized purchasing process, given that "both the control of the disease and the adherence to treatment would make it worse."
As the joint statement of the three societies says, “the reactive strips are essential tools for good diabetes control, since good control reduces both the number of acute and chronic complications and hospital income and, ultimately, spendingfor these processes in the National Health System (SNS) ”.
Do not leave any patients out
In recent years, as scientific societies, reactive strips and glucometers have reminded have evolved in a diverse way, so the market currently offers different meters that are coupled to the different profiles of the patients.Consequently, they denounce the SEEN, the thirst and the SEEP, “the limitation of the number of reactive strips and glucometers in the competitions of the different communities, at the individual level or according to centralized purchase, runs the risk of leaving out some of the profiles ofpatients ”.
More;As they warn in their statement, "the reactive strips and glucometers selected in a contest may be different from those chosen in subsequent competitions, and this would mean a mandatory investment in glucometers for the new selected reactive strips."An investment that will have an impact on the price of reactive strips since health professionals should spend more time to train the patient in the new system.
All this without forgetting that the changes would also mean "an individual effort for each patient that could have an impact on adherence to treatment."
Accept all strips and meters
For all these reasons, societies affect, "we consider that, once their quality is proven, all reactive strips and their meters must be accepted, in order to cover all the profiles of the patients, even when the economic criterion is important."
And in the same way, they also recommend applying hair glycemia monitoring protocols, adapted to each patient, which "will allow this procedure to adapt to their needs and avoid an excessive expense of reactive strips," concludes the statement.
