We just received the test strips from our 3rd party supplier and they are the FreeStyle Lite:
FreeStyle Lite® Blood Glucose Test Strip with Patented ZipWik™ Tabs, Results in 60 sec
Are these suitable for the Omnipod - from what I have read, they are not (and incidently, 60 sec test time is really slow!!).
If we have the wrong strips, can someone please post the exact name and item number for the correct ones?
Thank you!!
The Omnipod uses *Freestyle* strips, not *Freestyle Lite* strips. They are both zip-wik now and the strips look very similar. The Freestyle strips come in a *yellow* box and the Freestyle Lite strips come in a blue box.
Freestyle (correct strips)
Freestyle Lite (wrong strips)
As to whether they are really the same strips with different packaging, I don't know. They seem to give different results in my PDM.
Omnipod and Abbott are very clear on the fact that you must not use the Lite strips.
Let me look up the NDC numbers....
Thank you - this helps a lot!
Here is Abbott Diabetes web site link to the compatibility matrix.
https://www.abbottdiabetescare.com/products/patient/test-strips-compat-matrix.html
If you believe the footnotes, the strips are not to be interchanged.
I believe the NDC number for the box of 100 strips is 99073-0121-01
NDC is the National Drug Code system for uniquely identifying drugs for human use.
They are one in the same. My understanding from someone at insulet is that the FDA didn't approve the lite for use with the OmniPod. My trainer told me it was fine to use the lites. (off the record) So, I use the new system with the lites. I have tested PDM accuracy against my old meters and the reading at my endo's office and the results were pretty spot on. These test strips work fine in the pdm. You should have no issues.
A big help. I love this site!!
Officially, they are not supported.
Un-officially, they work just fine.
And this is what I have been told from reps from both Omnipod and Abbott as well.
Officially - no way.
But off the record - Abbott gets more shelf space having two different products so it's good for their business. But they roll off the same machine into differently marked bottles. According to anonymous conversations I had at a conference once at least.
Hi Scott! Not sure if you remember me, but you gave me a lot of help/advice when my son started podding in late March. Things are going great! He is just loving the OmniPod and we have been lucky to not have many problems. So, what's your theory on all the occlusions with the new pods ... think it's bad batches of pods??
They actually have three separate products now. Their insulinx touch screen meter uses its own special "insulinx" strips. They also look exactly the same as the regular freestyle strips. I tried some of the sample ones that were included with a free meter in my pdm and was getting readings withing 2 or 3 points.
In canada, both come in a yellow box.