Scientific societies warn any damages that represent the centralized purchasing and the reduction in the number of test strips and glucose meters for people with diabetes and offered their collaboration to optimize its use.

-The Spanish society of Diabetes (SED), the Spanish society of Endocrinology and nutrition (SEEN) and the Spanish society of Pediatric Endocrinology (PDEs) considered that adherence to the treatment and control of diabetes get worse when the supply of test strips is limited

Madrid, March of 2013.- in relation to the use of the test strips and the corresponding devices that measure the levels (glucometers) capillary glucose in people with diabetes mellitus, thirst, SEEN and SEEP scientific societies want to express:

-these test strips are indispensable tools for good diabetes control. It has been shown that good control reduces the number of acute and chronic complications, as well as admissions and, therefore, the expenditure for these processes in the national system of health.

– therapeutic education within comprehensive care of the person with diabetes who will help you to better cope with their disease must considerIt will facilitate their autonomy and improve their future. The person with diabetes should acquire skills which include measurement of capillary blood glucose, using test strips, which will allow you to detect early alterations in their control and modify their treatment.

– in recent years, strips and glucose meters have evolved variously, exist today in the market meters that are attached to the different profiles of people with diabetes: children and young people, older people with systems of continuous infusion of insulin, people with visual disabilities, etc.

-limitation of the number of test strips and glucose meters in the competitions of the different autonomous communities, individually or as centralized purchasing, runs the risk of leaving out some of the profiles of patients. In these cases, access to the most appropriate to their clinical situation procedure will be, logically, much more difficult.

– on the other hand, the test strips and glucose meters selected in a competition may be different to those elected in subsequent contests. This would mean an investment liable on meters for new selected strips. This investment, undoubtedly affects the price of the test strip, which will increase with the cost of the time that the health professional has to devote to the teaching of the new system. Should also be considered that this change would be an individual effort of the patient who could have an impact on the adherence to the treatment.

– also could violate the principle of equity in treatment when the decision of the different administrations (at the choice of the number and type of test strips and glucose meters) is not coincidental.

-do not forget that an evaluatedon important in the number of test strips / meters can have a negative effect on innovation technology co.

– that is why we believe that they should be accepted all test strips and your meters, once proven its quality, to cover all profiles of patients, even though the economic criterion is important.

-the application of protocols of monitoring of blood glucose in blood hair, tailored to each patient, will adapt this procedure to your needs and will prevent excessive spending of strips reactive.

– confident that the various administrations will take into account these considerations and reiterate our offer of collaboration.

On thirst

The Spanish society of Diabetes – SED – is a multidisciplinary scientific organization that brings together 1,800 medical professionals (endocrine, endocrine-pediatricians, family doctors, doctors of primary care, nurses, educators, biologists and other researchers).

The main objectives of the Spanish society of Diabetes are: support advances in the prevention and treatment of diabetes; promote research and the training of specialized health professionals; and to promote the generation and exchange of knowledge at national and international level in order to contribute to the improvement of hope and quality of life of patients with diabetes.

THIRST for the patient with diabetes is the center of all action. But, in addition, the SED is committed to reach all the citizens with messages that promote prevention and awareness-raising with respect to the dimension of the diabetes.

www.revistadiabetes.org

Spanish society of Endocrinology and nutrition

the Spanish society of Endocrinology and nutrition (SEEN) is a scientific society composed of endocrinologistsBiochemists, biologists and other specialists working in the field of Endocrinology, nutrition and metabolism, to deepen their knowledge and disseminate it. Currently, the SEEN is formed by 1,500 members, all of whom are involved in the study of hormones, metabolism and nutrition. is recognized as a scientific society of reference in these thematic areas whose objectives include the generation of new knowledge and its transfer to clinical care that may lead to improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of all patients with nutritional or endocrinological diseases.

The SEEN website offers information professionals, patients and the general public aimed at updating the knowledge of endocrino-metabolicas and nutritional diseases.

Spanish society of Pediatric Endocrinology

The Spanish society of Pediatric Endocrinology (SEEP) is a scientific association integrated by pediatricians with specific training in Pediatric Endocrinology, and other health professionals, dedicated to deepen the knowledge of Endocrinology and pediatric metabolism. It was created in 1977 and currently has 225 members who are dedicated to the care of endocrinological and metabolic clinical problems of children and adolescents to training and research in this area of knowledge.