BG meter company's

I now have an unsolicited GlucomenX too. And a Contour has also arrived.

does anyone want a free meter?????

I can only think it is coming through my surgery because i am also getting email spam from US companies offering me test and strips and things as well. :crazy:

Hi I have the same problem ( I think its a problem ) I've had 3 in the last week. Roche who make the accu chek have sent me a letter asking if my doctor has tried to change my meter without my concent. It would appear that someone must be doing some hard sell with the NHS. It's a pity they don't keep sending test strips out as freebies. that would be very helpful !!!

I got my own meter, so not had any sent without my knowledge, but do get free strips.

I paid for my meter[ before my free upgrade] and pay for my strips and no-one is offering me anything free.
Hana

I've only ever paid for 3 meters..

My first meter I brought very basis medisense one, which cost £150 (Zero VAT) it used a Camera battery that cost around £10 to replace :crazy:

The other 2 meters were emergency buys, due to mine had broke and I didn't have a spare..

But never had one sent to me announced though!

Perhaps they only do this for T2 diabetics..

After all it's getting harder for T2's to obtain meters and test strips via their diabetic team, which makes this a more profitable for the company, the NHS pays a lot less for the test strips than those paying over the counter without a prescription!

Jopar said:

After all it's getting harder for T2's to obtain meters and test strips via their diabetic team, which makes this a more profitable for the company, the NHS pays a lot less for the test strips than those paying over the counter without a prescription!

Click to expand...

That's a good point. Those of us who are being denied meters need to be persuaded by the companies to fund our own testing equipment. And we have a choice of which meter to use.

They don't need to target those who already get a meter and strips on prescription and have to use the ones prescribed.

Hmmmmmmmmm...its a good marketing ploy on the manufacturers behalf.

Defran

I don't think it's linked to prescriptions, purely because of Data Protection Act the information a Chemist or GP holds about you, can not be sold or given on to others... It's actually highly illegal to do so which rules out this has a source of information!

So if somebody is receiving unsolicited BG meters through the post, then yes it's probably that the sender has brought information from a 3rd party... So, somewhere along the line the individual would have provided their medical status/personal information to a company and have agreed that any information can be given or sold to other interested parties! This is the most likely source..

Not sure how pointing out, what is the most profitable sector within the diabetic community and why this is so, can be classed as attempting to start any argument let alone a T1 V T2's one :?

Any company carrying out a marketing pitch to entice new customer base will select their targets to the most likely match... Which happens in this case to be T2 diabetics, several reason this is the biggest group within diabetes and also happens to have the least support for funding of test strips, So the chances that a T2 is self funding test strips, which again for the company is the most profitable to supply.. Makes them the biggest and most profitable target...

l have been a diabetic for 40years and can remember the days before meters. However when they came onto the market l brought one. These days there are lots of UK companies that give them away free along with the supply of life ong batteries. l should know l have about 12. l have one for home use and a diddy one for my handbag. Although diabetics beware PCT'S are now trying to cut costs and several have struck a deal to supply its diabetics with the GlucoRX and not anything else. My surgery has just supplied one
and removed all the items associated with my other meters so l only have stored supplies. l have now no choice. l thought the NHS
gave us the choice, well it doesn't. Has anyone else had the same problems. So when you see an advert giving away these meters
you may as well forget it as your surgery won't agree to give you the strips because of the cost.

You do still have a choice when it comes to meters, what ever your PCT says! As the right of choice is within the NICE guidelines and the PCT can not chose which parts of the guidelines it will uphold or ignore! To do so it's illegal!

But you do have to proof, that you have foundation in your choice not being what the PCT is offering...

It could be that the meter being offered isn't compatible with your eyesight, screen/display too small or due to mobility issues with hands, it makes using the meter extremely difficult..

Features of the meter is another one, if yours has an electron log book, or other features that you use to maintain day to day control and the one being offered hasn't then you've got the loss of access to make your point!

In my case I use a insulin pump, which has a handset/blood glucose meter combined, the handset uses the BG meter part within it's calculations within the various wizards, none of these are on the actual pump, and there's no manual method of inputting a BG reading into the wizards.. So I have to be prescribed the test strips for this meter otherwise I lose quite a chunk of my pumps capabilities... And my consultant wouldn't be best pleased as he would be unable to download all relevant data to his computer for review...

Curtailing a patient to one type of test strip is one thing for several reasons..

1, Different meters can give slightly different readings, so swapping from one to another may give inconsistencies that impact on control..

2, Prescribing several different types of test strips, tends to be more costly and more difficult to calculate overall usage!

But the meter/test strips must be one that the patient is comfortable with, for various suitable reasons..

So I would speak with your GP to put your case across 'why' a certain meter/test strip is more suitable than the one they are offering... The GP should waiver his/her preferred one for yours..

I have never had a meter on prescription, didn't know you could. On the other hand, the only one I've ever paid for was my first one, years and years ago. The rest of them have been obtained through various free promotions in my local chemist, you know the type of thing,.... Sign up here for your free meter.

I m doing research into the number of type2's who have to buy their own strips but have found no data- surprise surprise. Has anyone seen an percentage estimate for the UK anywhere? Do European countries have the same issues or is it just us? I was surprised to hear this may be true for some type1's too!