Can anyone recommend and inexpensive meter & test strips? I need to buy a back-up meter for my brother. I think CVS and Walmart sell their own store brand meters. Are they very good? Any other store brands you can recommend?
I have nothing against WalMart or Walgreenns or CVS or whatever store brand meters. But I have a hard time trying to recommend one above the other. If the reason for getting a store brand meter is because insurance isn’t covering enough test strips, then the decision will likely be driven entirely by cheapest cost per strip.
If your brother already has a meter and test strips covered by insurance, it is usually affordable to get a backup meter compatible with his current test strips either in a pharmacy or grey market on Amazon etc.
Insurance will often cover a new backup meter each year (will likely require a brand new prescription for just the meter… the original meter prescription probably expired after a year). But the full retail price for a meter is often as cheap as $20, $10, or free so it’s often easy just to pay for it OTC and not worry about a new prescription.
I do find having a backup meter helpful. Keep them in all the places you usually are, home, work, family members house. Using the same meter is a much easier way to go. And if it is a price thing, like my insurance company wouldn’t cover my Contour strips, so I get them from Amazon. But with the G6, I have enough to last awhile.
And I got a couple new meters from my endo. They always have extra meter, because the companies want you to buy their strips. So ask one of you medical team members, someone probably has the meter you need.
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Can’t beat these - I got one for 6 bucks with 10 strips and an online link for a nice free case which they sent
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I use walmarts reliOn Prime. Its fine.
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I use Walmart Relion as well. Works fine.
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When I first started testing my BG, I purchased the CVS brand, and what I liked about it was that the strips were cheap. It was a good starter kit. At work, I always tried to have an extra on hand to give to a patient who might not yet have had insurance. CVS’s are plentiful in DC so that made things easier in terms of access, and not too difficult in terms of cost.
Personally, I have since moved on to the Bayer Next meter and like it very much. More than CVS, but for a basic kit, CVS is not bad. I still have it as a back up.
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There are a lot of meters out there that I’m not sure how they make it pass the FDA because their accuracy does NOT fall within acceptable parameters.
That being said, this article may be of help…
https://www.diabetestechnology.org/surveillance.shtml
According to them, the CVS Advanced from Agamatrix, is a better meter than the Relion.
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I ued agamatrix before I got the Libre. They worked fine and I think are pretty cheap.
My Relion matches exactly what my endo’s numbers are when tested. This has been true for over 2 years.
My understanding is that Relion is made by a reputable company that makes an expensive monitor thus making money in both arenas.
Monitors are guide lines and give or take 10 or so points in accuracy.
Not disputing one could be better than another but my direct experience for me is that my Relion has been very satisfactory.
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Meters are like printers… the basic printer is cheap because the companies make their money on the ink. Meters are the same way. The basic unit will be fairly cheap because the strips are what will cost you money. I agree with people above that the most cost effective way is to match what your brother already uses as long as whatever he uses gives accurate, FDA- perimeter results. Going to a very cheap off-brand that may not give accurate results is a waste of money and may be downright dangerous to your brother’s health. I use the Contour Next One. I got the meter on sale at Walgreens for $10.00 (usually only about $20.00), and I find that the strips are less expensive than the old Freestyle Abbot strips I used to use. Contour Next One also has an excellent reputation for accurate results. Do your research and purchase what will best meet your brother’s needs.
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