INR Blood Test Machine
- Thread starter London
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Being in Canada I can't comment on price. I've used two Coaguchek monitors and am more than happy with them. There is a European-based website--ISMAAP (International Self Monitoring Anti-coagulated Patients) that might provide more information. Coaguchek XS is manufactured in Germany and has an extensive product-based website. My XS cost $500 Cdn. brand new.
I have a few machines, and I bought most on E-Bay. I am hoping, one day, to have a CoaguChekXS, so I keep visiting eBay looking for meters.
I often see meters - often InRatio, sometimes CoaguChek XS, offered by sellers in the U.K.
Personally, I wasn't intimidated at buying a meter on eBay. If the meter wasn't new, in box, I asked for return privileges, just in case the meter didn't function properly. However, many meters on eBay have been 'retired' for accounting reasons -- this kind of equipment might be amortized over 3 years -- after that period, it's time to get a new meter, need it or not.
There may be some chemists in the UK that carry the meters and supplies.
(It's an empowering feeling being able to test your own INR and not being a slave to the labs).
Good luck in your search for a meter.
I often see meters - often InRatio, sometimes CoaguChek XS, offered by sellers in the U.K.
Personally, I wasn't intimidated at buying a meter on eBay. If the meter wasn't new, in box, I asked for return privileges, just in case the meter didn't function properly. However, many meters on eBay have been 'retired' for accounting reasons -- this kind of equipment might be amortized over 3 years -- after that period, it's time to get a new meter, need it or not.
There may be some chemists in the UK that carry the meters and supplies.
(It's an empowering feeling being able to test your own INR and not being a slave to the labs).
Good luck in your search for a meter.
Hello London, I have the Coaguchek XS that I purchased in 2007 for $500 Canadian. These are high quality and made in Europe; you should be able to buy it easily.
Check out the Roche web site.
Check out the Roche web site.
I bought my machine (InRatio) on eBay about five years ago for about half what it would have cost retail and it works fine. In the U.S. the machines are covered by Medicare as Durable Medical Equipment (DME) (similar to diabetes testers), but most, if not all, of the Health Care Providers in the U.S. do not as yet cover the cost of the machines for those under 65 or not otherwise eligible for Medicare. Although one can appeal to their Health Care Provider. I do not understand the Health Care Provider's reluctance to cover the testers, although money is probably a big part of the equation. They do not seem very different to me in overall function to diabetes testers, which are covered.
The thing with diabetes testers is that they are CHEAP to acquire - in many cases free, or damned near free. The cost is for the test strips - also not a major expense for most users or providers.
The thing with INR testers is that the machines ARE expensive, and not everyone is capable of doing a self-test (supposedly). Although testing is done, at most, once a week (and often less frequently), per-test costs are certainly more than diabetes testing. What the insurers don't understand is that the cost of a lab test is quite a bit more than self-testing supplies. Over the course of a year or more of testing, these short-sighted insurers will wind up saving money supporting self testers, instead of paying labs for similar services. (Of course, the lab test is still supposed to be the gold standard for INR testing, and self-testing still hasn't earned enough respect. OTOH - self testing doesn't always correlate well to the lab results). What the insurers also don't understand is the reduced risk of bad events if a self-tester can test weekly, possibly detecting anticoagulation issues before they become problems, versus the cost of missed issues that result from infrequent lab testing.
I bought my ProTime meters (I have an extra - if you're interested, send me a message), and an InRatio meter on eBay and have no complaints. I saved a lot of money buying them this way, and have been able to monitor my INR weekly (or slightly less often), so that I am usually in range. The only time I had a serious problem was when I was running low on strips and didn't test often enough.
As does Dan, I don't understand why insurers won't support INR self-testing for their insureds who are under 65 but taking warfarin. Even if calculated over a year or so, the insurers can be saving money, and if any of the patients avoid stroke or hemorrhagic problems because of lab tests done too infrequently, the cost savings would be much, much more than paying for a meter and weekly test. (Also - one factor nobody mentions is that, if everyone taking Warfarin had a meter or his or her own, the quantity of meters may introduce economies of scale for meter and strips and make it much more affordable for everyone - including the insurance carriers. The volumes will never match those for blood glucose monitors, but may be enough to make it possible to greatly broaden the number of INR self-testers).
Some doctors may argue that letting the patient do self testing takes the management away from them. This isn't so -- the warfarin is still available only by prescription. The doctors or clinics could require reporting, and recording of results, before prescribing refills, and the doctor or clinic can get as involved as it wishes with the management of dosing.
The thing with INR testers is that the machines ARE expensive, and not everyone is capable of doing a self-test (supposedly). Although testing is done, at most, once a week (and often less frequently), per-test costs are certainly more than diabetes testing. What the insurers don't understand is that the cost of a lab test is quite a bit more than self-testing supplies. Over the course of a year or more of testing, these short-sighted insurers will wind up saving money supporting self testers, instead of paying labs for similar services. (Of course, the lab test is still supposed to be the gold standard for INR testing, and self-testing still hasn't earned enough respect. OTOH - self testing doesn't always correlate well to the lab results). What the insurers also don't understand is the reduced risk of bad events if a self-tester can test weekly, possibly detecting anticoagulation issues before they become problems, versus the cost of missed issues that result from infrequent lab testing.
I bought my ProTime meters (I have an extra - if you're interested, send me a message), and an InRatio meter on eBay and have no complaints. I saved a lot of money buying them this way, and have been able to monitor my INR weekly (or slightly less often), so that I am usually in range. The only time I had a serious problem was when I was running low on strips and didn't test often enough.
As does Dan, I don't understand why insurers won't support INR self-testing for their insureds who are under 65 but taking warfarin. Even if calculated over a year or so, the insurers can be saving money, and if any of the patients avoid stroke or hemorrhagic problems because of lab tests done too infrequently, the cost savings would be much, much more than paying for a meter and weekly test. (Also - one factor nobody mentions is that, if everyone taking Warfarin had a meter or his or her own, the quantity of meters may introduce economies of scale for meter and strips and make it much more affordable for everyone - including the insurance carriers. The volumes will never match those for blood glucose monitors, but may be enough to make it possible to greatly broaden the number of INR self-testers).
Some doctors may argue that letting the patient do self testing takes the management away from them. This isn't so -- the warfarin is still available only by prescription. The doctors or clinics could require reporting, and recording of results, before prescribing refills, and the doctor or clinic can get as involved as it wishes with the management of dosing.
triff
Active member
Hey, I'm also in London and umm... 6 months post-op for a mitral valve replacement for infective endocarditis that very nearly finished me off.
I'm finding the more my life gets back to normal, the more intrusive these sometimes bi-weekly/sometimes monthly tests become, I freelance for my own company so time literally is money. I would have no problem at all doing the tests myself, and the amount of time I'm losing having to take mornings off to get my INR test would have probably paid for a machine a few times over by now. I can fairly accurately (I'm not suggesting this as a viable method!) guess my INR to within 0.5 by looking at the colour and consistency of the blood on the pin prick, much to the amusement of some nurses/blank looks from the automatons, and from the reading I can guess what the doctor will change on my prescription. Another reason is, when I was in hospital (for almost two months of possibly dying) I was *really* longing to go travelling again (likely SE Asia or S America), and that would either mean potentially expensive foreign checks, limiting where I could go or getting my own machine and taking it with me.
So doing it properly, knowing what affects my INR and then calling the anti-coag clinic with my reading if it's out of range whilst not having to spend loads of time confirming it's in range is a pretty desirable situation all-round for me at the moment. I just had a quick look on eBay and there are CoaguChek XS's for £250-£300, which sounds pretty spot on to me. I think I'd still want the anti-coag doctor (mine is pretty excellent) to agree for me to do this first, rather than just go renegade and order one.
Anyone in the UK know if there's any way to get assistance from the NHS for the machine, or if we can get the test strips from a pharmacist like Warfarin? That'd be pretty handy (especially with a prepayment certificate!).
Stuart
I'm finding the more my life gets back to normal, the more intrusive these sometimes bi-weekly/sometimes monthly tests become, I freelance for my own company so time literally is money. I would have no problem at all doing the tests myself, and the amount of time I'm losing having to take mornings off to get my INR test would have probably paid for a machine a few times over by now. I can fairly accurately (I'm not suggesting this as a viable method!) guess my INR to within 0.5 by looking at the colour and consistency of the blood on the pin prick, much to the amusement of some nurses/blank looks from the automatons, and from the reading I can guess what the doctor will change on my prescription. Another reason is, when I was in hospital (for almost two months of possibly dying) I was *really* longing to go travelling again (likely SE Asia or S America), and that would either mean potentially expensive foreign checks, limiting where I could go or getting my own machine and taking it with me.
So doing it properly, knowing what affects my INR and then calling the anti-coag clinic with my reading if it's out of range whilst not having to spend loads of time confirming it's in range is a pretty desirable situation all-round for me at the moment. I just had a quick look on eBay and there are CoaguChek XS's for £250-£300, which sounds pretty spot on to me. I think I'd still want the anti-coag doctor (mine is pretty excellent) to agree for me to do this first, rather than just go renegade and order one.
Anyone in the UK know if there's any way to get assistance from the NHS for the machine, or if we can get the test strips from a pharmacist like Warfarin? That'd be pretty handy (especially with a prepayment certificate!).
Stuart
Stuart
In Ontario a doctor's prescription is required to purchase an INR monitor so I wonder if you'll need one to purchase strips.
Until you learn how to manage your own INR's you will need a manager. I take mine and e-mail the results to my manager in a Toronto hospital and have sent them from England as well. So for travelling monitors are a god-send.
I don't put faith in blood color nor how well or poorly the blood flows at the puncture site to determine the level of my INR either.
INR monitors are the best gift one can give oneself.
In Ontario a doctor's prescription is required to purchase an INR monitor so I wonder if you'll need one to purchase strips.
Until you learn how to manage your own INR's you will need a manager. I take mine and e-mail the results to my manager in a Toronto hospital and have sent them from England as well. So for travelling monitors are a god-send.
I don't put faith in blood color nor how well or poorly the blood flows at the puncture site to determine the level of my INR either.
INR monitors are the best gift one can give oneself.
I wouldn't put any faith in the color or flow of the blood at the incision site, either. The color probably more accurately reflects the amount of iron in your blood than it would your INR.
I've been renegade, out of necessity, for years. With the exception of an InRatio that was sent to me by Alere, I've bought my meters from dealers on eBay. Before I was able to self-test, I had doctors who didn't care if, or when, I had my INR tested. (These doctors were probably pretty clueless about warfarin dosing). Taking control of it for myself was an excellent choice.
For a while, I was buying the warfarin from a pharmacy in India -- now, I have a doctor who prescribes it, and I keep a spreadsheet that shows current dose, INR, which meter was used to take the INR, and any possible factors that may also effect the INR. My 'INR Diary' is a useful tool, both for tracking the information related to tests, but also to convince the medical establishment that I'm keeping good records, and am staying on top of my INR.
I have been able to buy my 'strips' from medical suppliers, and also from dealers on eBay. I have had a doctor buy them from a medical supply company on my behalf.
I don't know how things work in the U.K., but I suspect that getting the supplies should not be much of a problem, once you have your meter.
I've been renegade, out of necessity, for years. With the exception of an InRatio that was sent to me by Alere, I've bought my meters from dealers on eBay. Before I was able to self-test, I had doctors who didn't care if, or when, I had my INR tested. (These doctors were probably pretty clueless about warfarin dosing). Taking control of it for myself was an excellent choice.
For a while, I was buying the warfarin from a pharmacy in India -- now, I have a doctor who prescribes it, and I keep a spreadsheet that shows current dose, INR, which meter was used to take the INR, and any possible factors that may also effect the INR. My 'INR Diary' is a useful tool, both for tracking the information related to tests, but also to convince the medical establishment that I'm keeping good records, and am staying on top of my INR.
I have been able to buy my 'strips' from medical suppliers, and also from dealers on eBay. I have had a doctor buy them from a medical supply company on my behalf.
I don't know how things work in the U.K., but I suspect that getting the supplies should not be much of a problem, once you have your meter.
