Consumer Guide to Diabetes Products

Blood Glucose Test Strips and Meters

Two types of Blood Glucose testing strips are available on medical prescription as subsidised items.

These are

•  Accu-Chek® Performa marketed by Roche Diagnostics (NZ) Ltd
• Medisense Optium marketed by Medica Pacifica Ltd

Each type of strip uses its own specific meter.

Accu-Chek® Performa strips are used in the Accu-Chek® Performa meter.

Medisense Optium strips are used in the Medisense Xceed meter.

Once only, a newly diagnosed person who is prescribed either Insulin or a Sulphonylurea medication can obtain either, an Accu-Chek® Performa meter, or a Medisense Xceed meter on prescription.

If your diabetes is managed with Insulin or a Sulphonylurea drug (Gliben, Apo-Glipizide, Minidiab or Diatol), or you are a pregnant woman with diabetes, there is no limit on the number of test strips for which your doctor can obtain subsidy.

If you are NOT using Insulin or a Sulphonylurea drug and you are NOT a pregnant woman then your doctor can only obtain subsidy for 50 test strips on any one prescription. This limit applies to people whose diabetes is managed by diet alone or with some other drug (Arrow-Metformin, Metomin, Actos, Avandia, Glucobay). Your doctor can however write more than one prescription.

All strips come in packs of 50. The Optium strips are also available in packs of 25.

Test strips are not a "Stat"¹item. Although your doctor can prescribe 90 days supply, only 30 days supply can be uplifted from a pharmacy at any time unless a specific exemption is provided.

Diabetes Supplies Limited holds an exemption to this restriction. Prescriptions for test strips presented to Diabetes Supplies Limited do not incur any “co-payment”² and a full 90 day supply can be provided in one dispensing.

Test strips can also be purchased from a Pharmacy or from Diabetes Supplies Limited without prescription, but at full retail price which may vary between outlets.

All blood glucose meters can also be purchased from Diabetes Supplies Limited, from many pharmacies and may be available from local Diabetes Societies. The Xceed meter can be purchased directly from the importer, Medica Pacifica.

Download software to analyse blood test series on your home computer is available from both suppliers

There is a very wide selection of alternative meters and strips available outside New Zealand and the technology is developing rapidly.

Manufacturer's Name	Pharmaceutical Name	Importer/ Supplier	Presentation	Type	Availability
Medisense Optium	Glucose dehydrogenase	Medica Pacific Ltd.	Individually foil-wrapped in packs of 25 and 50	Single-use electrode with capillary action to draw up blood	Fully subsidised. Limited to 50 strips per prescription unless for a person using insulin, a sulphonylurea drug or for a pregnant woman
Accu-chek® Performa	Glucose degydrogenase	Roche Diagnostics (NZ) Ltd.	50 strips in plastic pot with snap-off lid	Single-use electrode with capillary action to draw up blood	Fully subsidised. Limited to 50 strips per prescription unless for a person using insulin, a sulphonylurea drug or for a pregnant woman

Manufacturer's Name	Manufacturer/ Importer	Presentation	Strip used	Availability	Battery	Features	Time for test
		.
Accu-Chek® Performa	Roche Diagnostics (NZ) Ltd	Zip pack pouch with finger-pricker, quick reference guide, owners booklet and first time guide	Accu-Chek® Performa	Fully subsidised once only for a patient using insulin or a sulphonylurea drug and if first diagnosed after 1 March 2005	1x CR2032	Memory holding 500 time and date specific test results. 7, 14 and 30 day test averages	Approx 5 seconds
Medisense Xceed	Medica Pacifica Ltd.	Lightweight zip pouch with finger pricker, Quick Reference guide and full "User's Guide"	Medisense Optium	Fully subsidised once only for a patient using insulin or a sulphonylurea drug and if first diagnosed after 1 March 2005	1 x CR2032	Also capable of conducting Ketone tests using unsubsidised strip.	Approx 12 seconds Screen countdown

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1. PHARMAC describes as "stat" (from the Latin word, Statim meaning "at once") items where 90 days supply can be uplifted "all at one time". For other items, including test strips only 30 days supply can be uplifted at one time unless an exemption is provided. ↩

2. Depending on your personal circumstances you may be required to make a "co-payment" of $2, $3 or $15 for each item on a prescription presented to a pharmacy. ↩