Medtrum - the new low cost CGM solution now being sold

tim2000s

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Some of you may remember Medtrum. They appeared about 18 months ago and seemed to offer a new Pump and CGM solution.

Over the past 18 months they've kind of gone off grid, but recently reappeared, selling the A6 CGM system and getting their pump onto NHS lists as an alternative to the Omnipod.

Whilst I haven't had a chance to play with the pump, you can find about all their stuff here: http://www.medtrum.co.uk/ and I've written a first review of the CGM kit here: http://www.diabettech.com/cgm/disruption-in-cgm-land-can-medtrum-take-dexcoms-crown/

They're charging £35 per sensor (so NHS Libre rates for Real-time CGM Sensors) and £200 for a rechargeable transmitter, but offering a starter pack for £225.

There's more to come on accuracy later today.
 

Engineer88

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I'm extremely interested for later in the year, following with interest.
 

Brunneria

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Edited to add: post retrospectively edited because it contained misleading info.

I found what looked like a Medtrum shop page, and placed an order (at what looked like brilliant prices :D ), but it now turns out that it was a test page, and the order didn’t go through. So I have deleted the details from this post to avoid confusion and derailing Tim’s thread.
 
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slip

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Tim How's today's figures been so far? Looks really interesting.
 

Diakat

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Exciting. Will monitor the feedback from you guys before I commit but sounds good.
 

slip

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@Brunneria so what did you pay and for what exactly? Via an email from them, and not via the website, said £135 (no idea if that includes VAT) for 1 sensor and 1 transmitter, so well more than the website?
 

h884

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Sounds very interesting. Have had a look at website. Will be interested to receive more feedback
 

Brunneria

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@Brunneria so what did you pay and for what exactly? Via an email from them, and not via the website, said £135 (no idea if that includes VAT) for 1 sensor and 1 transmitter, so well more than the website?

Posted edited: to remove reference to the incorrect prices found on the test page.
 
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redditchdiabetic

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Message to Brunneria - I have been following the Medtrum product for some time, That website you mentioned is a test only as i tried to order through it over six months ago and it is dormant, As Tim has mentioned the cost is £225 for 4 sensors and transmitter.
 

Brunneria

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Thanks, @redditchdiabetic ,
@slip just informed me of the same thing. Very disappointing!
Fortunately, having checked my accounts, it looks like no money was taken, so will ring the office in the morning and double check the situation. :)

Have to say, I am MUCH less interested if I have to shell out for 4 sensors at a time. I have a history of problems with the adhesives used on medical products, so am not interested in buying in bulk at the start.

Will go back to my prev post and remove the link.
Wouldn’t want to cause confusion!
 

tim2000s

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@Brunneria They've an alternative offer on right now for one sensor and the transmitter. I think it was £145 to get started like that.
 
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Diakat

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I'll be interested to see the rest of @tim2000s data. It still looks more accurate than the Libre and I think costs less if self funding and able to extend life to 14 days. I don't pump so it should be reliable enough...
 

slip

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Just spoke to Medtrum, I've cancelled my order as it works out more expensive than the Libre sadly (not by much but then I couldn't afford the Libre continuously). Doesn't bode well that they can't take payment online or over the phone either and the test store site gives the wrong price information:(. I was so excited for a day, hey ho, to good to be true I guess.
 

Brunneria

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I have also rung, and had an interesting conversation with Medtrum.

I encouraged them to remove their Test Order page from public view (!!!) and was thanked for my feedback. lol!

Also established that the £145 offer Tim mentioned above is available, where you get one sensor and one transmitter.
Buying a sensor separately is £35
Buying a transmitter separately is £225 (rechargeable and with a year's warranty)

So the deal they are offering is a significant saving on the separate purchases, but too steep for my pocket for a 7 day CGM trial.

One other interesting factoid is the 7 or 14 day usage mentioned above. I asked about this and she explained that each sensor will only last for 7 days (half the life of a Libre sensor). However, you can choose whether the transmitter will run for 7 or 14 days. She didn't go into detail, but I suspect it is the amount of charge it is given, whether it will last for one or two sensors. Useful for a 2 week hol, I suppose, rather than taking the charging equipment.

Back to watching Tim's updates. I am very curious to see whether the Medtrum varies in accuracy over the life of the sensor, because that is exactly what happens to me, with the Libre, which is most accurate between days 3 and 13 of the sensor life. Days 1-2 and 14 are a bit erratic for me. If the same thing happened on a 7 day Medtrum sensor, then I think that would significantly reduce its usefulness to me.
 
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DCUKMod

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I have also rung, and had an interesting conversation with Medtrum.

I encouraged them to remove their Test Order page from public view (!!!) and was thanked for my feedback. lol!

Also established that the £145 offer Tim mentioned above is available, where you get one sensor and one transmitter.
Buying a sensor separately is £35
Buying a transmitter separately is £225 (rechargeable and with a year's warranty)

So the deal they are offering is a significant saving on the separate purchases, but too steep for my pocket for a 7 day CGM trial.

One other interesting factoid is the 7 or 14 day usage mentioned above. I asked about this and she explained that each sensor will only last for 7 days (half the life of a Libre sensor). However, you can choose whether the transmitter will run for 7 or 14 days. She didn't go into detail, but I suspect it is the amount of charge it is given, whether it will last for one or two sensors. Useful for a 2 week hol, I suppose, rather than taking the charging equipment.

Back to watching Tim's updates. I am very curious to see whether the Medtrum varies in accuracy over the life of the sensor, because that is exactly what happens to me, with the Libre, which is most accurate between days 3 and 13 of the sensor life. Days 1-2 and 14 are a bit erratic for me. If the same thing happened on a 7 day Medtrum sensor, then I think that would significantly reduce its usefulness to me.

Brunneria - Perchance, did you ask how long the transmitter actually lasts? That it is rechargeable suggests some time - maybe over a number of sensors? I'm also curious, as a potential periodic user, if the transmitter can be dormant bwteen sensors, so wear a sensor, then a month until the next, or whatever. The timeframe between sensors could obviously vary enormously, but it feels like something that could be fairly common.

Apologies, Brunn - I'm not asking that you were some form of Forum PA, but just if you happened to enquire. You know me - who, what, where, when and why for the least thing!

Finally, do you have a link to the introductory offer you mention, so that I can bookmark it?

Thanks. :)
 

Brunneria

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Haha! I did indeed ask how long a transmitter would last, and got the stock phrase 'it has a year's warranty'.
So I would have every expectation that it should be still functioning if it ran for 52 consecutive sensors, with however many recharges during that period. But that is my interpretation. The lady on the phone just gave me the warranty statement.

My mental arithmatic breaks the cost down to approx £2 a week if you bought it on the current special offer, and more than double that if you bought it at the standard cost of £225.

I haven't found a webpage with any way to buy online, except for that pesky non-functioning Test page.
Looks like at the moment, ordering may be only over the phone.
I would imagine that they will add online ordering as the demand increases.

When I rang them I used the phone number Tim gives in his review (link in OP of this thread)