Just curious what you guys are doing with these bulky one-time use Dexcom inserters? They don’t fit in my Biohazard container, so I saved them up (10 months worth) and individually pried out each metal sharp with needle nose pliers, which was nice and tiny in the biohazard sharps disposable.
I guess now I’ll just put all this in the garbage! What do you do?
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It’s considered a self contained sharps container. You can put the whole thing in the trash without any further precautions. Unfortunately, since it is medical waste the inserter isn’t recyclable.
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Every 10 days goes right into the trash as is along with the spent sensor as well.
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Trash.
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Everyone I know is irritated by the crazy amount of waste from the g6. It’s really mind blowing.
Dexcom said they will make the g7 more environmentally friendly.
Let’s hope.
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I have seen a photo of the G7 and the inserter is smaller…but still trash.
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thanks, go to know!!
It gets worse when you add a pump to the mix. Multiply this image by 3 to get the amount of stuff for a month. If I could use TruSteel sets, that would get rid of the infusion set inserted.
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Reading through the latest Dexcom interview (June 15/22) with CEO Kevin Sayer, it doesn’t sound to me like they’ll be getting the G7 into the US market in 2022.
“We are still in the same place – we’ve got a back-and-forth going on with the FDA, and we’ve not seen anything to indicate that we won’t get this product approved as a real-time CGM. … They were busy during COVID. We just have to be patient. And I don’t love being patient, trust me.”
Further delays are expected due to the reimbursement process:
" The rollout will coincide with the reimbursement process. We’ll launch it as we get the reimbursement channels to go.
So, if you get your sensor through CMS and you’re a Medicare patient, for example, it takes a 90- to 120-day window from approval to get CMS to cover it. We’ll have the same issue with the state insurance programs. On the payers’ side, that takes a little longer to renegotiate those contracts.
The limiting factor will not be our ability to build it. The limiting factors will be the payers and the PBMs, and getting all those contracts squared away."
https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/an-interview-with-dexcoms-ceo-701160/
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While new tech like the Dexcom G7 seems to take an interminable amount of time to receive approval, I am grateful that the current G6 model provides suitable tech while we wait.
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So true and I just keep ordering because I can use them up while ordering but not using the new ones when they hit the market. Much easier to do on private insurance vs Medicare. But it’s another way to build a stockpile!
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I agree the trash is intense. But was very happy to see the needle now being put into the same package as the syringe! Small thing but one less plastic trash.
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@Terry4 I couldn’t agree more with you Terry. To me, the G6 is state-of-the-art sensor technology (vs the G4 and G5’s)
I started with Medtronic sensors in late 1990s. So Dexcom G6 is triple the state-of-art technology!! My first dexcom was the Seven, although there was an earlier one, I think called STS. maybe 3 day wear.
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I have been using the cartridge refill syringe and needle several times. I just dip the needle in alchohol.
I first used the Dexcom Seven. What a difference from the G6. I remember being told that the graph of the Seven was it’s value. Even now, I really value the arrow with the graph of the G6 when bolusing.
Yes, all of this trash makes me long for the days of boiling syringes to re-use them.
And also not using a CGM but instead just testing my pee (which re-used a glass eye-dropper and glass test tube, so there was not as much waste).
Yes, those where the good old days!
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Just out of curiosity, how does your A1C in those good old days compare to your A1C/GMI today with a CGM?
I know you didn’t ask me but I went from 8.5% to 6.4% with a CGM (Dexcom) and then 6.0% with the pump.
And almost no hypos any more.
So big difference.
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Per this article, A1C started use in 70s, but the doctors I went to 1965-1985 did not use them. My first A1C test was around 14, in 1986. Goal from dr was to be around 9. With a change to use NPH and Reg for meals, I was able to get to 7-8s, and later lower with Medtronic pump with early cgm sensors. The DCCT study was one of the key events leading to A1C goals and tracking.
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