Blood glucose meters are, of course, a key tool in managing diabetes because they allow people with diabetes to see what their blood glucose level is within a matter of seconds, empowering them to take corrective action if necessary.
Like all diabetes supplies, however, glucose meters can be expensive and hard to obtain without insurance or the help of a physician. For this reason, drugstore-brand glucose meters are often a good option, as they are more accessible and affordable while providing the same fast results as fancier brand-name glucose meters.
“Benefits of ‘generic meters’ include being easily accessible, and the test strips are really inexpensive,” explains Jamie Kowatch, a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) at Saluté Nutrition LLC in Seattle, Washington. “But all of the data shows that they are nowhere near as accurate as the big brand named meters. If people want to have more accurate data, more accurate information to make their judgement calls on, the best way to go about it is have their prescriber write a prescription for the meter and the test strips and go through insurance and get however many test strips they need for one copay.”
Here’s a rundown of popular drugstore glucose meter brands, that can help you decide if they are a good option for you.
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