Coaguchek xs test strips

[Jimmyk]

Being able to self test is great. A question for members who self test.
are you able to test with an expired strip? I'm not sure if the little chip that comes with the strips would alert you and not let you perform the test.

 

[pellicle]

It does, you can't.

If desperate you can fool it by changing the machines date to be prior to expiry date and then test. I'd expect the result will be only slightly biased, but in a pinch...

 

[Jimmyk]

Thanks Pellicle,
My insurance has referred me to a medical supply , and will now pay for the strips.
A Dr. wrote a prescription for 96 strips with no cost to me.
I’m not sure about everyone else, but I’ve been buying them since the surgery and there not cheap.
At first the pharmacy told me they were not covered under the insurance. The Dr. that wrote the prescription told me to call my insurance.
After a10 minute phone call, I will now get enough strips by mail to test twice a week.
Hopefully the expiration date is a year or better from now. I’d hate to have them expire. Especially after paying about 6 dollars apiece for the ones I’m using now.

 

[pellicle]

Thanks Pellicle,

welcome

...I’m not sure about everyone else, but I’ve been buying them since the surgery and there not cheap.

In Australia they are not free, and myself I consider $6 per strip (which is usually once per week) cheap. Cheaper than even driving to a Dr to get it done for free. I used to get it done at a private clinic (where our govt picks up the tab) but after regularly being late to work (cos the pensioners get in early) and needing to wait for at least 30 minutes I reckoned $6 was worth it.

Just to put a perspective on this I would spend more on a coffee at lunch. I filled my 4WD up with fuel yesterday, that was $100 and my motorbike uses about $20 per week.

Not to mention what I've learned since taking it all on myself ... invaluable to me, helpful on occasion to others.

Hopefully the expiration date is a year or better from now. I’d hate to have them expire. Especially after paying about 6 dollars apiece for the ones I’m using now.

usually the ones I buy have expirations of about that (a year or so) as I buy in packet of 24 (2019-03-31 for my current ones) I buy two tubes a year (as I also do some mid week testing just to keep an eye on things, and to learn sometimes its more).

 

[Eva]

I had to pay a lot out of pocket when I had good insurance. Now, I pay the total cost since being on Medicare and it costs me about $5 a strip, which is worth the convenience home testing!

 

[user 16827]

i have used expired strips by changing the machine's date, then they work fine

i used the expired one against an in date one and the reading was the same

I am not sure what actually goes out of date it may be the reagent. mine were 3 month past their date

 

[pellicle]

Hi

...i used the expired one against an in date one and the reading was the same

I am not sure what actually goes out of date it may be the reagent. mine were 3 month past their date

that'd actually be my expectation, but it would depend a lot on stuff like how they were stored, temperature, was the environment hot and humid, was the cap left off the bottle for a long time?

Most medications (for instance) remain effective for some time after their exipiry date (there are even organisations who gather these and distribute them among needy countries). The problem is that its not always predictable (although some effort does go into testing that.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that even a year after expiry if stored in ideal conditions they were still giving good results, but for the maker its a "crap shoot" so they just do their sums and write it off at that time

Myself I've never thrown strips out, but I do take care to ensure that I "rotate my stock"

(BTW, this post is more or less just me mumbling to myself about what you said above)