I’ve been using the Contour Next test strips that sell for $27 for 70 strips at Amazon. A long story made short, I began using the Auvon test strips who claim better accuracy than the international standards. The Auvon test strips sell for $25 for 150 strips at Amazon. I’ve been testing them side by side and see little difference between the two. I’m planning to compare both to a lab test in June.
One reviewer at Amazon says he tested the Auvon test strips against a lab test and they were within 2 points of each other.
At first I thought you were saying you substituted the Auvon strips for the ContourNext ones in the ContourNext meter, which would be kinda cool if you could, but it’s a whole different BGM system. Just wanted to clarify that in case anyone else was confused. Does seem worth checking out. I still do a finger stick first thing in the a.m. just to check that my CGM is on the same page—it doesn’t always pick up on my DP—and I can no longer get ContourNext strips as a prescription item now I’m on Medicare, so I have to buy them OOP. CN has been highest rated for accuracy for a long time, but I might consider switching if this system is as accurate as you say.
With any new to me blood glucose meter I look at the data. I found the manual for the Auvon and there is no data from a study characterizing its precision, accuracy and consistency. Accuracy information is conspicuously absent from the specification table. I googled auvon site:fda.gov and found Auvon never sought approval to sell the device in the US.
Their website makes some accuracy claims:
EXCEEDS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. AUVON BGMs can function within ±10%, or ±10 mg/dl of laboratory values over 95% of the time, which is far beyond ISO 15197:2013 passing standard (within ±15% or ±15 mg/dl). The manufacturer is certified with CE mark, GMP, ISO 13485:2016, and ISO 15197:2013 without having any recall on the market in the past 14 years.
Note the part “AUVON BGMs can function…” Can is a wiggle word. It means sometimes with some samples some of their meters and test strips tested within 10%. Also the ISO spec they are referring to is a whole list of specifications, The website only lists the one spec and the manual lists none. “without having any recall” is meaningless if the product doesn’t fall under any authority with the power to issue a recall.
This leads me to the conclusion that the Auvon is not appropriate for making treatment decisions. For more information on BGM specification the FDA issued a very readable guidance document in 2020 when they adopted the ISO spec and added some criteria. Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Test Systems for Over-the-Counter Use | FDA They also talk about why they added the requirement for bigger studies and more test strip QC. The information suggests to me that comparing a sample or two to a lab result isn’t meaningful.
In the past I was an FDA approved manufacturer with FDA approved devices. I can say for sure that FDA approval may not be indicative of anything. I found them to be completely incompetent and they even admitted it to me. Since then, I only rely on my own testing. Also marketing is usually inaccurate as well.
The only way to know for sue is to bring the meters with you and test just before a blood draw that is sent to a lab.
Just remember that you are measuring venous blood vs capillary blood, both of which can be slightly affected by various factors and environments. Additionally the testing equipment on either side can be off. As they say, a man with a watch always knows what time it is vs a man with two watches is never quite sure. Either way, however, the results should be close.
