Testing Strips for Roche CoaguChek XS

[slipkid]

I think we witnessed the change from XS to INRange units in the leasing company

That makes sense. Some service changed over to the other units & were then dumping their XS stock. I wonder why they chose to remove the battery cover or blue-lid strip cover thing b4 selling them. I assume they could have asked a higher price if they left them intact.

 

[Protimenow]

I think we witnessed the change from XS to INRange units in the leasing company

That's kind of what I was thinking, too. Or Roche is clearing their stock of XS meters so they can only sell the InRange (and Vantus) meters -- maybe for more money or just to retool their production lines.

 

[Protimenow]

That makes sense. Some service changed over to the other units & were then dumping their XS stock. I wonder why they chose to remove the battery cover or blue-lid strip cover thing b4 selling them. I assume they could have asked a higher price if they left them intact.

Roche probably REQUIRED them to 'disable' the meters before dumping them. They didn't want a flood of usable units cutting into their business.

As far as getting a 'reliable' meter (from an earlier message), Roche had to assure that any meter they sold would work -- some of the meters ended up in clinics or doctor's offices and these had to run a lot of tests (some clinics may run a year's worth to you and me in a day or two), reliably, accurately, and without failing. IF you get a bad meter, it's probably an accident (although I've seen some meters on eBay that are sold in lots (10 or so), and presumably the screen is cracked, or the battery terminals are corroded, or other things have happened to make them unusable).

 

[pellicle]

Roche probably REQUIRED them to 'disable' the meters before dumping them. They didn't want a flood of usable units cutting into their business.

Agreed

 

[slipkid]

Roche probably REQUIRED them to 'disable' the meters before dumping them. They didn't want a flood of usable units cutting into their business.

Agreed

The thing about that that doesn't add up for me is If they did not want a flood of usable units cutting into their business then:
(1) they could have required the medical device companies to either return them to roche or have a bonfire to destroy them
(2) the units are still usable anyways as is (you can make a klugey strip holder thing, and the battery cover isn't needed functionally) - if the reason required they be disabled then REALLY disable them not just remove the covers etc
(3) it has been reported that if you contact Roche and simply ask for a new strip holder thing they will give you one for free which means that Roche is participating in getting around the "disabled" meter part
(4) those blue strip holder things are being sold on ebay also (and so are the battery covers)

 

[Protimenow]

Maybe Roche figured that few people would actually BUY a disabled meter. Maybe they didn't realize that people could figure out how to use a second strip, placed where the blue strip guide would go, to defeat the interlock switch.

Unless a person is actually shopping for a meter, they wouldn't have found these 'disabled' meters. And, perhaps, many of these 'disabled' meters had cosmetic flaws, cracked displays, or other things that made their sale on eBay (and elsewhere?) a bad idea.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if a large percentage of these 'disabled' meters never made it to eBay or other sites. (I wonder if any of these meters made it into places (maybe Third World countries, for example), where they are badly needed, but their price makes them prohibitively expensive. Or, maybe, provided to people who can't afford new (or most used) units but for whom regular testing was important (and, perhaps, even providing strips that were soon to expire and couldn't be sold). Wouldn't that have been nice?

 

[pellicle]

Maybe Roche figured that few people would actually BUY a disabled meter.

maybe its like news agencies where all they have to do is tear off a corner of the magazine to recover their money (or the magazine publisher would have to pay for that shipping).

 

[Protimenow]

RIght. I remember that practice. These magazines with torn covers often went to libraries (IIRC). I don't think they went to the gray market where they could be resold.

I still think Third World countries and other areas where meters are in short supply and too expensive would be a better way to have disposed of the meters - although it may have been something of an insult if inexpensive strips weren't also available. Kind of like giving people cars, but with no access to affordable gasoline. (And I still think that strips with short expiration dates could go well with these donated meters).