Diabetes can be an expesive Condition

[Kenny3]

There is no doubt that Drug manufacturing companies, and those who make accessories like meters and replacement strips etc are cashing in on people who have illnesses. (not just Diabetes). For example I recently bought a blood glucose meter. Still have most of the strips because I only take about 2/3 readings a month. The meter cost £22:00. Replacement strips , which come in boxes, of 50 cost £15:00. this is roughly the equivalent of buying a car for £2000:00 and then having to pay £1500 to fuel it up. It is time the government brought these companies into line. Kenny

 

[Tommix]

it is not just strips , but food also why is food that is sutable for us always so much more expensive .

 

[carty]

Cabbage is cheap!
CAROL

 

[JohnEGreen]

Man or woman cannot live on cabbage alone, or can they?

 

[Ann1982]

The original diet for diabetes was cabbage water and whisky!

 

[Chook]

Drug manufacturing companies would argue that they have to recoup the money they lay out in research and development somehow but I agree they charge much too much for something that is essential for so many of us.

The first week of the www.dietdoctor.com two week keto diet challenge certainly felt like it was mostly cabbage.

 

[slip]

None of these companies are in it just to make people better, or do it out the kindness of their own heart. A business has to make money to survive..........how much though all depends on what the stake holders want!

 

[JohnEGreen]

The original diet for diabetes was cabbage water and whisky!

I think we have progressed a little since the times of Avicenna and Aretaeus.

 

[Prem51]

The original diet for diabetes was cabbage water and whisky!

Whisky is expensive too. The distillers are exploiting us! !!

 

[GrantGam]

it is not just strips , but food also why is food that is sutable for us always so much more expensive .

You should completely avoid all food which is tailored towards diabetics. It tends to be highly priced and of no great benefit. So much so that most HCP's will instruct you to avoid these foods.

 

[noblehead]

The price of test strips is ridiculous and needs addressed, honestly thought when the SD Codefree meter came out (with their price of £7 for 50 strips) it would start a price-war but sadly it never materialised.

 

[carty]

Cabbage and single malt may be expensive but cabbage and moonshine ?
CAROL

 

[Bluetit1802]

The price of test strips is ridiculous and needs addressed, honestly thought when the SD Codefree meter came out (with their price of £7 for 50 strips) it would start a price-war but sadly it never materialised.

Most likely because the NHS doesn't prescribe them, even though they are on the list of ones that can be. I think this is more down to Home Health than the NHS. However, the new TEE2 from Spirit Health are also cheap, with free accessories too, and some surgeries are now prescribing these. @Oldvatr had one offered to him.

 

[noblehead]

Most likely because the NHS doesn't prescribe them, even though they are on the list of ones that can be. I think this is more down to Home Health than the NHS. However, the new TEE2 from Spirit Health are also cheap, with free accessories too, and some surgeries are now prescribing these. @Oldvatr had one offered to him.

Are the Home Health & Spirit meters comparable with the likes of the Bayer & Roche meters @Bluetit1802 ?

No experience of either but was just wondering if they perform all the same functions as the big brand names.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Are the Home Health & Spirit meters comparable with the likes of the Bayer & Roche meters @Bluetit1802 ?

No experience of either but was just wondering if they perform all the same functions as the big brand names.

I do have an Accu Chek Mobile and a Codefree. The AC Mobile reads a bit low and the Codefree tends to read high, but not a great deal of difference. Maybe 0.5mmol/ on average, with some differences of up to 1mmol/l.

No idea what functions they have as I don't use the software.

EDIT

@Squire Fulwood has the TEE2 and I believe he is doing some useful comparison tests with one of the bigger brands.

 

[Diakat]

Man or woman cannot live on cabbage alone, or can they?

Not sure I want to live with anyone just eating cabbage, or any brassica for that matter...

 

[JohnEGreen]

The codefree software is pretty basic Tee2 software is I think a lot better.

 

[bobneil]

Pharma markups can indeed exceed 3000% on stuff that people require to survive. It gets worse if you have something rare, because then you have to take a drug with no market competition or generic alternative.

Test strips are so stupidly expensive that I'm considering ordering a monitor+strips from the United States because the strips cost less than I would pay up in Canada even with insurance.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Man or woman cannot live on cabbage alone, or can they?

My nan did . . . . . . . for a while, back in the late 1940s, so my mum use to tell me. It seems that the doctors couldn't explain why she was so heavy when she ate so little. Sounds familiar. 1940s? That's even before my time. LOL

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

There is no doubt that Drug manufacturing companies, and those who make accessories like meters and replacement strips etc are cashing in on people who have illnesses. (not just Diabetes).

If you look at the number of Chinese manufacturers who sell BG meters for about $US5, so long as you want 500, it would seem it's the retailer not the manufacturer whose cashing in.

Similar thing with test strips and the variance in cost seems enormous as well.