Do Diabetic Test Strips Expire?
Glucose test strips are expensive. Are you wasting money if you throw away expired strips? Are they still accurate if you use them after they have expired? These are important questions to ask if you cannot afford new test strips, or want to use old ones. Furthermore, you may have too many and want to sell diabetic test strips before they expire. A company named Glucomart performed some tests to help answer these questions. The design and results of their study are shown below. Design They used test strips from different manufacturers that had been expired for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years. The expired strips were compared with the same brand unexpired strips. Three control solutions were used: normal, high, and low concentration glucose solutions. Test trips were tested three times in each control solution. Statistics were used to test the accuracy of each strip. The brands tested included: Accu-Check Aviva Plus Accu-Check Compact Advocate Bayer Breeze 2 Bayer Contour Bayer Contour Next Element Embrace FreeStyle FreeStyle Insulinx FreeStyle Lite Liberty Nova Max One Precision Xtra One Touch Ultra One Touch Ultra Blue TrueBalance TrueTest Results The accuracy of the test strips depended on: The brand of the test strip. The length of time since expiration. [thumbnail target=”_self” alt=”Accuracy of the test strips by brand ” src=”There was no significant difference between the accuracy of unexpired strips and those that had been expired for up to 1 year. Most strips that expired 2 years previously were accurate, except for Precision Xtra: Precision Xtra strips that expired 2 years ago were not accurate or precise. Those that expired 3 years ago gave false low readings. Most test strips that expired at least 5 years ago were less precise and accurate. They sometimes ga Continue reading >>
Guest Post: The One Diabetes Rule I Always Follow.
Thanks to the magic of the Internet and how words can travel from CA to RI by email faster than a sneeze, I’m happy to be hosting a guest post from friend and fellow PWD, Christopher Angell. (You may remember him from such glucose tabs as GlucoLift and such guest posts as the one about decAY1c.) Today, he’s writing about the diabetes rules he’s willing to bend and the one he always follows. * * * When I was first diagnosed and started my testing and insulin regimen, I did everything by the book. I disinfected test and injection sites with alcohol swabs (no longer recommended). I used a fresh lancet for every finger stick, and I always removed and properly disposed of my pen needles after each injection. I was a model patient (except on those nights when I washed down a giant bowl of popcorn and a chocolate bar with a bottle or so of pinot noir…). Over time, however, my diligence started to show some cracks. After one too many meals out where I fished out my Humalog pen only to realize I was out of needles, I started leaving my last used needle on, and only changing it right before my next injection, so that worst case, I wouldn’t have to skip dinner or run home and force everyone else to wait while I retrieved my supplies. After using that “emergency needle” one or two times with no adverse effect, I got more and more lenient, until I was only changing a needle when it started to hurt (or required noticeably more force to do its job). Then of course I figured that if needles could be treated like that, lancets certainly could too- they were far less delicate to begin with, since they weren’t hollow. When I started on a Dexcom CGM, it didn’t take me long to realize that those expensive sensors could have their lives prolonged without consequence as well Continue reading >>
Where Do Expired Test Strips I Donate Go?
You may wonder what is going to happen to the expired test strips you donate. Don’t worry, we put them to good use. The expired test strips you donate will be donated to the Pet Diabetes Program or the Diabetes Art Center. These are wonderful programs that help support both humans and animals with diabetes. The Pet Diabetes Program gets expired test strips that have been expired for less than 1 year It is not only people that are affected by diabetes, but animals can get diabetes too. Treating diabetes in an animal is just as costly as treating it in a human. Since most pets do not have health insurance their owners must pay out of pocket for their testing supplies and medication. Many owners do not test their pets regularly because of the costs associated with it. This leads to poor control and increases the risk of diabetic complications. We donate expired test strips that have been expired for less than a year to families with a diabetic pet. Control solution is also provided at no cost to ensure that the results are accurate. This program has improved the lives of several diabetic pets who would have otherwise suffered from poorly controlled diabetes. The Diabetes Art Center gets expired test strips that have been expired for more than 1 year Expired test strips that have been expired for more than one year are donated to the Diabetes Art Center. Diabetic artists of all ages create masterpieces made of old diabetic supplies and The Diabetes Art Center auctions them off to the highest bidder. All proceeds from the auctions go to help the uninsured/underinsured pay for their antidiabetic medications and diabetes testing supplies. This is a great way to recycle those expired test strips and help out a diabetic in need. Continue reading >>
Why Do Lancets Have An Expiry Date?
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community Why is it that lancets also have an expiry date? Surely, if not used before expiry date, nothing adverse could possibly result? Right now I am using expired lancets from a box I happen to find lying around? I am able to obtain a blood sample and I cannot feel that there is anything wrong with the lancets. It really eludes logical comprehension that manufacturers stipulate an expiry date? But is there a justifiable reason not to use expired lancets? It's probably so you'll throw them away and buy new ones. When I have used all of mine I put them in a steamer and then start using them again. It's just to make money....they make nothing from me I've not changed a lancet in over a month lol. I suppose it could be to do with how long the lancets remain sterile after packaging. I didn't even know they did have an expiry date. I bought a very large box of lancet drums for my Accu Chek Fastclix back in 2014. There were over 200 lancets in total. I still have 30 lancets left. After your post I looked on the box, and sure enough there is an expiry date - March 2018. I only change my lancet when either it starts to hurt or refuses to draw blood. I'm still here and still have full use of my fingers. Yep, there is an expiry date on the "tab" that seals my Fast clix box... One could easily "clock" em by just transferring to a newer box? As someone else said it's about making money and little else. I suppose it could be to do with how long the lancets remain sterile after packaging. Wow! Good job I'm up to date with the Tetanus then... My lancets needles are actually sealed, within a blob of polypropylene or whatever it is. In order to use it, I have to snap that ta Continue reading >>
Do Lancets Really Expire?
Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please,join our community todayto contribute and support the site. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. I have an opportunity to get a great deal on some multiclix lancets new in the box and sealed. why do they put an expiration date on lancets? it's not like they have any active ingredients. I can't see why they would go bad. I just finished the box I was given free 4 years ago. Since I don't change my lancet very often a box lasts me forever. I didn't think anyone ever actually bought lancets. If it's a , I bought about 6 boxes really cheap). At the rate i'm going, i'll never have to buy anymore. I've been using the same lancet since 2007. Still works! If you soak them in water for several weeks/months, then, my guess would be that you wouldn't want to use them. Other than that, I see no reason for them to be "sell by" since they will store nearly as long as hot dogs. Oh, you mean people buy those? I got 6 with my meter! Oh, you mean people buy those? I got 6 with my meter! My Endo included them on my last prescriptipn for strips and my mail order pharmacy sent me 4 boxes of 50. I added them to my 8+ boxes I have accumulated over the years. My co-pay was $50 and the pharmacy refused to take them back even though they were sealed. Anyone need more free lancets. I use one lancet every 6 months. How do you only use 1 lancet? do you clean them? don't they go blunt? or are you just a bunch of roughy toughies? I think the sell by is based on an estimate on how long the sterile packaging will remain so. How do you only use 1 lancet? do you clean them? don't they go blunt? or are you just a bunch of roughy toughies? That's what I'm wondering, too. Having only been diagnosed for just over a year, I di Continue reading >>
Is It Ok To Use Expired Diabetes Test Strips
I have been a diabetic all my life and I wanted to share this information. I have completed alot of research on diabetes and diabetic testing. I have been associated with alot of doctors and have also had the joy of being associated with an individual who was involved in the actual testing of diabetic test strips at a research center. The following information was shared with me by these individuals and I would like to share it with you. Diabetic test strips do have an expiration date printed on them but that is not the actual expire date. There ia an additional six months of life after the expire date as long as the strips are still in the unopened vial and stored in a dry,cool shaded area. This extra cushion was added to the expire date to prevent us diabetics from testing with a strip a few days old resulting in a bad reading. In my research I could not find any indication that it is illegal for an individual to test with, buy or sell expired strips.This would also indicate that it should be up to the diabetic if they wanted to use them, up to the seller if they wanted to sell them or the buyer if they wanted to buy them. I have done my on test with expired strips and in date strips and recieved the same reading from both so I feel comfortable with using them. With the research and the conversations, I can understand why someone would buy expired strips. This helps those who have low income, no medical coverage or benefit from the low cost. I have seen the price of the in date strips on ebay climbing more and more and this is a concern. I understand someone wanting to make some extra money but I do not agree with making a killing off of someone elses misfortune nor do I agree with someone bidding on they're own strips or having someone do this for them just to get th Continue reading >>
Lancets – The Good, The Bad, The Gross
From hanging out in the DOC for a few years now, I think I can safely say that a LOT of us have a very lackadaisical attitude towards lancets. Sure, we use them on a daily basis, and have to have them to support our blood sugar testing, but as for brand names, which ones perform better than others, etc, I don’t see a lot of discussion around it, and no one seems to care a lot about lancets. (Except for the FDA, apparently. What a load of who-ha.) There isn’t any dedicated research (that I know of) or earth-shattering discoveries being made around “how to make a better lancet.” I am not talking about non-invasive glucose monitors here, I’m just talking about lancets. Lancets are pretty simple tools we use to break through our skin, draw blood, and use that blood to test our blood sugar. (True, lancet-devices themselves may differ, but that little piece of skin-poking metal is pretty universal.) As for our various uses and hygienic standards surrounding how we use lancets….now, there’s another story. I remember in the early days of having diabetes, I was religious about washing my hands and/or alcohol swabbing my finger before ever jabbing it with a lancet/lancet-device. After each use of a lancet, I would take it out of the lancet-device, cap it with the twist-top from a new lancet, put the new lancet into my device so it was ready for next time, then discard the old one into my sharps container. (I’m sorry, I’m laughing at my-naive-fresh-faced-21-year-old-diabetic-self as I write this. Let me compose myself.) Fast forward 19 years. I can’t remember the last time I refilled an Rx for lancets or bought a new package of them. The ones I have in my diabetes supplies zones have long-overdue expiration dates on them (I think), but really – what’s there Continue reading >>
Everything You Need To Know About Diabetes Test Strips
Update: A lot of our readers ask us where can they find the best deals for test strips. We personally recommend Amazon. You can check the list of selections they offer by clicking here. Blood glucose test strips play a crucial role in helping you to monitor your daily blood glucose level and giving your doctor the data to adjust your medication to control your diabetes symptoms. Without the help from these little disposable strips, life with diabetes can become even more chaotic than ever. But what exactly are these thin little plastic slip and why are they so expensive? Are there any alternative method I can use? Where can I get the best deal on these test strips? This article will answer many of your questions and concerns regarding these blood glucose test strips: Table of Contents History on Glucose Test Strips How Does the Test Strips Work Why Are the Strips So Expensive? And Why the Price Discrepancy? Why Must Diabetic Patients Use Glucometer and Test Strip? How Often Should You Administer A Blood Glucose Test? How to Find Out if Your Glucose Monitor is Accurate? How Accurate Are the Test Strips? How to Find Out if Your Glucose Monitor is Accurate? What is a Urine Glucose Test? Can’t I Use This Procedure Instead? Expiration of Test Strips Medicare Plan B Coverage for Glucose Test Strips Where to Get the Best Deal on Test Strips? Ways to Save of Test Strips How to Avoid Counterfeit Blood Glucose Test Strips Can You Reuse Test Strips? Can You Make Your Own Test Strip? 4 Most Affordable Meters How to Pick the Right Glucometer? How to Dispose Used Test Strips, Lancets, and Needles? What to Do with All These Test Strip Containers? Selling Your Glucose Test Strips A Good Idea? Odd Way to Earn Some Money Back Questions? History on Glucose Test Strips The first glucomet Continue reading >>
Using Expired Test Strips
Using expired test strips can save you a lot of money, but are they accurate? This is an important question for diabetics who can not afford new test strips or for those who want to know their old test strips are still safe. We tested several brands of test strips that had been expired between 1 and 5 years and found that accuracy depended upon the length of time since expiration and the brand of test strip. Test strips were tested with brand specific controls that had at least 6 months until expiration. Test strips were tested 3 times per each control solution (normal, high, low) and averages, standard deviations, and %RSD were used to determine accuracy and precision. Brands of test strips tested included: One Touch Ultra, One Touch Ultra Blue, FreeStyle Lite, FreeStyle, FreeStyle Insulinx, Accu-Chek Aviva Plus, Accu-Chek Compact, Bayer Breeze 2, Bayer Contour, Bayer Contour Next, Advocate, Element, Embrace, Liberty, Precision Xtra, TrueTest, TrueBalance, and Nova Max. Results are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please follow the advice of your physician. Expired Test Strips Data Test strips that had been expired for 1 year or less were not found to have a statistically significant variation in readings compared to unexpired test stirps. The majority of test strips at the 2 year mark were within the control solution range with the exception of Precision Xtra. Precision Xtra test strips that had been expired for more than 1 year were very slow at absorbing the control solution and readings were neither accurate nor precise. At three years past expiration Precision Xtra test strips read on average 102 below for high controls and read low (<20 mg/dL) for low controls. Test strips that had been expired m Continue reading >>
Expiration Date: The Most Common Concern Of Diabetic Test Strip Buyers On Amazon
Amazon serves as an online marketplace for merchants to sell their products to consumers. Though Amazon’s competitive environment offers lowered prices, there are some products that present serious concerns to consumers. Diabetic test strips are one of those products because the Amazon listings for test strips do not display the expiration dates. Our case study shows the expiration date is the most common concern of people who buy glucose test strips on Amazon. As the expiration date continues to be one of the most common causes of glucose monitoring errors, it’s important for users to avoid using short-date glucose test strips. A common place many individuals with diabetes end up buying short-dated test strips is Amazon. Shoppers seeking low prices end up purchasing test strips that are potentially short-dated. Take a look at the following screenshot taken from a popular prime listing on Amazon for OneTouch Ultra Blue test strips. At the first glance you don’t see the expiration date, then you scroll down to “Product Description” and “Product Details” yet you cannot find the expiration date. The next natural move to find out the expiration date is to contact the seller. However, Amazon makes it hard for consumers to directly contact the sellers. Your only resort at this point is the Q&A section. You can search in the existing questions but you may not be able to find the current expiration date of the test strips. Alternatively, you can ask the seller about the expiration date, which often takes some time. Either way, it’s not easy to find out the expiration dates. Case-Study: Test Strip Expiration Dates – The Most Common Concern of Buyers Due to the fact that the Amazon listings for diabetes test strips do not display expiration dates, we see a large Continue reading >>
Expired Diabetic Test Strips: Should You Use Them?
One of the biggest debates concerning diabetic test strips has always centered on the use of test strips beyond the expiration date. The reason for such a big swing on both sides is the fact that an expired box of test strips may read very close to a test strip that hasn’t expired (within 5 points on either side). This then leads the patient to believe that all expired test strips are fine to use as long as the strips aren’t ‘too old’. After combing several blogs, I’ve noticed that a large number of diabetic patients who use expired test strips believe the Pharmaceutical industry places an expiration date on test strips in order to generate a larger, more steady income. On the other hand, the patients who believe test strips expire seem to all have stories about getting incorrect readings when testing against newer dated test strips. So, is it true that the Pharmacy industry is setting expiration dates for their own personal gain? To find the correct answer, we must first understand what a test strip is actually made of in order to determine if an expiration date is really needed or not. What’s inside a Diabetic Test Strip? A Diabetic test strip, like the Nipro TRUEtest Glucose test strips, consists of a coating on the top layer in order to protect and seal the components and circuit of the strip. The sample chamber is the window in which your blood sample is initially placed on. The chamber has several different parts attached including the spacer, two adhesives that fit in between the spacer, and a liquid attracting layer. All of these parts combined assist in moving the blood sample to the strip known as the chemistry strip. The chemistry strip has two major components. The first is the enzyme which is a ‘living’ protein that attaches itself to glucos Continue reading >>
Sell Diabetic Lancets For Cash
If you have unused diabetic lancets, don’t let them go to waste. Lancets are important diabetic testing supplies, and Cash Now Offer is dedicated to helping people with diabetes get the supplies they need. It’s a win-win for you: You get cash for diabetic lancets, and Cash Now Offer provides the supplies to those who need them most. How Can I Sell My Diabetic Lancets? Selling your extra diabetic lancets couldn’t be easier with Cash Now Offer. Read on to learn how to get cash for your diabetic lancets and other diabetic testing supplies. Cash Now Offer provides cash for diabetic lancets that are unused and in their original packaging. It is very important that you not open or tamper with the packaging, as this limits our ability to provide discounted supplies to diabetics in need. Follow these guidelines to sell unused diabetic lancets to Cash Now Offer: Cash Now Offer accepts most name-brand diabetic lancets. You can check whether your lancets qualify with our handy online calculator. Some of the brands we accept include One Touch, Bayer, Accu-Chek and Freestyle. Check to make sure your lancets are unopened and unexpired. Unfortunately, we cannot accept diabetic lancets that are not in their original packaging. Get your quote from Cash Now Offer! Once you’ve tallied your supplies, get an accurate quote to learn how much cash you can receive for your diabetic testing supplies (remember that we buy test strips and other supplies in addition to diabetic lancets). Ship your supplies. At checkout, choose your desired shipping method. We can email you a shipping label, provide a shipping kit or reimburse your postage. Select the shipping method that is most convenient to you and send your supplies. Get cash! Once we verify the contents of your shipment, you get paid! Continue reading >>
Do Test Strips & Diabetic Supplies Really Expire?
As I mentioned, I’ve been searching for an article on pharmaceutical expiration dates for a week. But finding an objective piece in a sea of editorials (including my own posts on the subject) was very frustrating. This morning, I stumbled onto an article titled Do Medications Really Expire? It’s from a 2003 Psycho-pharmacology column in Medscape (Thomas A. M. Kramer, MD). The article’s findings are worth reading… I just want to clarify one point. Insulin is one of the exceptions to the rule. Do not use expired insulin! Okay, here’s another excerpt followed by a link to the whole story: “Manufacturers put expiration dates on for marketing, rather than scientific, reasons,” said Mr. Flaherty, a pharmacist at the FDA until his retirement in 1999. “It’s not profitable for them to have products on a shelf for 10 years. They want turnover.” That they do. Here’s a clip and the rest of the story: “One of the largest studies ever conducted that supports the above points about ‘expired drug’ labeling was done by the US military 15 years ago, according to a feature story in the Wall Street Journal (March 29, 2000), reported by Laurie P. Cohen. The military was sitting on a $1 billion stockpile of drugs and facing the daunting process of destroying and replacing its supply every 2 to 3 years, so it began a testing program to see if it could extend the life of its inventory. The testing, conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ultimately covered more than 100 drugs, prescription and over-the-counter. The results showed that about 90% of them were safe and effective as far as 15 years past their original expiration date.” Continue reading >>
Is It Okay To Use Expired Diabetic Test Strips?
Have you ever thought about using expired diabetic test strips to save money? Read this article to find out whether or not it’s a good idea. Diabetic test strips can be expensive. Some of them range up to $2 a piece. And in a box of 50, that can really start to add up. It’s understandable that you’d want to be able to get the most for your money from that. It’s understandable that you’d want to be able to get the most for your money from that. That’s why it can be so frustrating when they reach their expiration date before you’re finished with them and you have to throw them away. When this happens, you’re probably wondering, “What’s the worst that will happen if I use these?” Well, the conversation around expired test strips is actually very lively. Many people have an opinion on whether or not using expired test strips is the right thing to do. We’re here to give you all of the facts, so that you can form an opinion of your own How do diabetic test strips work? In order to understand whether or not you should be using an expired test strip, it can be useful to understand how they work. The basic explanation is this — a liquid-attracting layer moves your blood into the little window on the strip, which is known as the “chemistry strip.” This strip is made up of an enzyme and what’s known as a mediator. The enzyme attaches itself to the glucose in your blood and pulls off sugar electrons. The mediator then passes the enzyme through the circuit to get you your reading. The enzyme is “living,” which is how a diabetic test strip is able to expire in the first place. Eventually, the enzyme will “die,” or break down. And then it will not be able to attach to the glucose in your blood or pull off the sugar electrons. But when exactly do Continue reading >>
Why Do Lancets Have Expiration Dates?
Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please,join our community todayto contribute and support the site. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Seriously, anyone know why? I'm just curious. Don't see a use before date on them. So no, not in general. Just a guess ... but I suspect it has to do with tests carried out on length of period of sterility. Very good question. I have no idea. I had never noticed an expiration date on them before. I'm sure mine are all expired by now, and I have tons of them, because I forget to change them. So you'll throw them out when they expire and buy yet more??? Excellent Grace Girl, could very well be. We all know how that kind of thing goes. Buy, Buy, Buy. I thought expiration dates were just recommended use by dates. Dang, now you all tell me what they are for. /me goes to check all the stuff in his fridge he bought for 50% off cause it was near expired Liability; No company is going to waste the amount of time to say "yeah, these things will last you 50 years", because they would have had to literally wait 50 years to be able to say that (during testing). So, they'll make a reasonable accommodation and set an expiry so they can't be sued if something weird should happen after X amount of years. Very good question. I have no idea. I had never noticed an expiration date on them before. I'm sure mine are all expired by now, and I have tons of them, because I forget to change them. You mean to tell me that we have to change them??? The cynic in me says it's a means by which the health insurance companies can get more $$$ from you ... just like they say insulin expires after 30 days of being out and any other random thing they say to incite fear in the average end user. The cynic in me says it's a means Continue reading >>
