I keep seeing more and more people share issues about the Minimed Lot 8 infusion set recall. It’s unbelievable how poorly the recall process has been handled.
Here’s an excerpt from the Medtronic’s Mission page:
“Earl [Medtronic’s co-founder] wanted that human benefit to be the company’s main purpose, so he and the board of directors produced a formal statement of the company’s objectives. Nearly a half-century later, that Mission continues to serve as an ethical framework and an inspirational goal for employees around the world. It guides our day-to-day work and reminds us that our efforts are changing the face of chronic disease for millions of people.”
Today, I have to agree with something somebody told me a couple of weeks ago. Medtronic seems to have sat on their market leadership and forgotten about the most important thing: THE PATIENT!
Thank you for posting this Manny… I hope that anyone with continuing issues with MM is able to get those resolved and that MM can wake up and see that they’re losing sight of what is really important… I know there are a lot of disgruntled MM customers out there now
I had absolutely no problems whatsoever with my personal recall experience. I had approximately two and a half boxes (24) of lot 8 sets. I followed the process as directed and received 4 replacement sets almost immediately and the following 20 replacement sets a week or two later. However, I do agree that some of the initial information (or lack thereof) from Medtronic added to the overall confusion once word got out about the potential problem with the sets. I also do have to say, that I had personally used, without any problems, 16 lot 8 sets.
My experience had nothing to do with a recall but with a defective batch of reservoirs–it would not surprise me if a recall were in the making though. However, Medtronic was nothing if not helpful. It seems like their customer service and response is inconsistent though, because for every person I’ve heard say “Medtronic is great” I’ve heard another say “Medtronic sucks”
I had no problem with the recall, no problem with the infusion sets and generally no problem with Medtronics.
I learned about the recall via a letter in the mail. Was the notice later than it should have been? I don’t know. The nature of the defect wasn’t clear, but the directions about what to do were. I received a placement set promptly.
I was not offended that they were not all replaced immediately as I already had too many supplies on hand.
Overall, I’ve got no complaints about Medtronics. I will say that they are not a ‘touchy feely’ bunch. The excerpt from the Mission Statement page is interesting, but I don’t believe it. It never occurred to me that Medtronics was looking out for me. It’s a corporation, not a person.
I had five boxes of ten and was told that their is a shortage and that they would send me out a box a month for the next five months. So I asked the rep how will I get more? They the answer came back, you must put in new orders like everyone else. So, I said, you can’t give me what you owe me, but if I buy new order, you can fill my request, YES!
Medtronic leaves me so frustratedordering suppliesperiod. I have yet to understand what on earth takes them SO LONG to “process” an order.
It didn’t help that the recall came at a horrible time of year for me, when I was doing lots of traveling and all my sets were lot 8. They weren’t the most accommodating to my situation either—I truly think the people on the phone don’t understand that you can have “bad” sets/sites and need extras on hand at all times.
I really think the recall was not handled very well. First I was an early identifier of a problem, though I had no idea what it was. At first my BG’s just soared. I called the doc and his office said that there was a fair amount of that going on and suggested changing lot sets. This was a good three weeks before the recall. Once the recall happened, I called MM and they told me they told me as they told everyone, that the supplier woudl handle the recall. So called the supplier and the nice lady told me to send them to MM and gave me the address. i did, I got them all boxed up but jsut ot check, I called the supplier and the nice lady said MM had changed direction and I should send them to the supplier. So I wrote up a new address label and got it to the post office.
I sent in a full box and six loose ones. I got a full box back pretty quickly and then the loose ones started to arrive. Usually two at a time and about a month and half after I sent them back. I believe I got all six back, but who knows for sure? Anyway, my issue is the ones I could not send in. I had gone though at least one whole box trying to get a set that worked. The person at MM and the supplier said no problem send in the open packages and they would replace them. Yeah right, listen lady, I take out a set and use a new set, i really do not save the old packaging. I mean give me a break. They knew full well how many defective sets they sent because the person at the supplier told me. oh yes i see you have four boxes of lot 8 sets. well why in the world did they need my opened packages? You sent me four, I sent what I had left, why didn’t MM send out four boxes?
It is not a mystery what I did with them. Come on MM fess up send four boxes back. At the very least, why didn’t MM do the right thing and send back two boxes. Every time I opened the mail and got another single or two, it made me angry at them once again.
What Jaclyn says goes for the CGM’s as well. You know the supplier sends CGM sets for 90 days, one gets 30 sets. Well you know, in 30 days i might blow 3 or 4 sets and when I call, they say well it is either a MM problem you blew that site, and if so call MM or you abused the set, at which case you cant have a new one. So I asked, cant you please send me like one extra box of 10 even every year? Oh no, if you have problems call MM. So I call MM and they are like, that is not a manufacturing issue, which it is not, but a user issue. Actually it is a product issue. The things have to be installed just perfect, and occasionally I blow one. If I were MM, obviously I am not, i would be glad to send a few extra’s like maybe 11 in every box of 10 just because it is a product issue.
