Exactly so, on the 50-strip pickup. I do control-test every vial… which is why I’m particularly PO’d at meter models that pack 25 strips to the vial and require two separate tests (lo/hi) for each vial (e.g., Advocate meters – there goes the cheap-strip differential! – not to mention that the blood pressure cuff on the Duo is consistently OFF, by inconsistent amounts)…
I use Freestyle Flash, which only needs a little tiny bit of blood. Through the mail-in script option, it’s 75 cents a strip, so the savings add up over time. Still way expensive, though. But very little blood is needed. I haven’t had a single error since I switched to this brand a couple years ago, and it’s still running on the original battery…good luck!
As much as I love the OneTouch for looks I am considering going back to the Freestyle (either Flash or Freedom – I have both) just because of wasting the strips. I wasted another one this morning. I thought the drop was big enough but it wasn’t!
I use Precision Xtra and haven’t had any problems, I think it’s fast and your able to add an additional droplet if needed.
Yeah, using the OneTouch UltraSmart. Sometimes I get “Error Code 5” when checking my levels. It’s frustrating when you’re looking at all the “blood sample sizes” on the chart at the drug store. What they need to do is double it! There’s no way that you can squeeze that microscopic amount of blood from your finger without wasting a test strip. You should be able to send back the strips to the pharmaceutical companies and get a refund. But then again, that’s probably a biohazard and it’ll cost you for shipping. Costing you more money than what it’s worth. Maybe they should come up with some sort of frequent buyers club…just a thought.
Even worse…you prick your finger and you’re all set to test and then you realize that you forgot to put the test strip in the meter! Argh!
Check out the wavesense line .I use the “jazz” and its allmost imposable to waste a strip , pluss there way beyond the around 20%percend acuracy that the FDA allows these companys to adhere to.
I’m with you on that one Justin!! I wish there was a way to suck the blood back out & start over if you mess up… wonder if there will ever be a reusable test strip… naw, with a 900% mark up the money’s too good for reuse. 
oh… I really hate it when that happens!!!
The thing I noticed with the Contour is that if I didn’t check when I put in the strip, the screen didn’t come up and then I get an error message. Ugh…
Unfortunately for me, the Accu-Chek Advantage II Control also shows an “E” or error reading when the blood in not enough on the strip It makes me angry too since it costs me about $45 ( 2500 in pesos) per one 50 pcs canister and my insurance does not pay for it. I just make sure I have enough blood before nserting. I usually use my pinky finger too since by personal experience…it draws the most blood as compared to my other fingers.
I have an accu-check aviva, and i guess I got a bad lot of strips because I went through 10 one right after the other with plenty of blood and they all gave me error codes. I had to go to a back up set of strips, but the waste.
I hate it when that happens, too.
Or at a stop light while having a conflict with your teenager? And she points out that it’s really not safe to do stuff with needles while driving? And she’s running late to school?
Yup – and it will read 20 points lower than it should, as well. In winter, I must test forearm to get an accurate result.
I think no matter what meter we use if the sample is not big enough and we want to reapply the second to be finished with it. Then not only are we aggravated that we have to add another strip (not to mention seeing that $1 + time and aggravation flying away) and and possibly stick ourselves again but, then there is a few more seconds we have to wait for the meter to be ready. Half the time I just want to continue what I was doing before I had to take time out and test. This happens especially when you are in a rush weather it be a short lunch and running back to work or late to be somewhere at night and you need to eat in a hurry.
May your samples be plentiful and your meters never flake out on you!!!
Yes, it does happen to me at least a couple times a month. Last week it happened two times in a row! Makes really mad also. One dollar out the window everytime I don’t get enough blood on the strip. That is crazy.
And while we are on this subject, isn’t just ridiculous that there is a about a 900% mark up on One Touch strips? Shame on all of these companies that are overcharging us! Sorry, didn’t mean to take over. I am just saying…
That’s part of why I went with Freestyle a few years ago. I had to use a One Touch Ultra for a week last year and had seriously forgotten what a vampire it was. Freestyle uses easily half what the other strips ask.
Seriously? 900% markup? Then I’m sure they have no incentives to make them better…
be glad it’s not the 45 second waiting game with the first one touch I had. I wish I knew where it was so I could show y’all this massive thing.
Justin, I have the Accu Check Ultra and sometimes I get in a hurry and don’t get enough on there or I smear the blood and mine does the same thing. ERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!It make me furious. Usually when I am on a roll I don’t just waste one it is a couple. since my supplies are out of pocket it can get mighty expensive. Good luck and I guess we should sit back and take our time and make sure everything is done right.