You know, sometimes a person can be stupid without even realizing it.
So, there I was standing at the Kroger Pharmacy asking the pharmacist for a box of One Touch Ultra test strips. $43 for 50 strips. Craziness.
But then I noted that sitting there on the counter was Kroger's own BGL meter and strip. The meter, just like the One Touch Ultra, uses a tiny amount of blood and tests in 5 seconds. It is about the same size as the Ultra. But most importantly, the strips only cost $24 for a box of
50.
Hmm. Do a little math, and you can see that there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of advantage to sticking to the name-brand meter these days. Oh, sure, once upon a time One Touch had the lead on meters, with one of the smallest drop sizes and fastest testing times. But that's no longer the case. And frankly, One Touch's latest meters don't offer me anything additional that I really need. They have graphing, or slightly smaller sizes, but nothing I haven't gotten along without for 24 years. They could, I suppose, reduce the test time to one second or something...but honestly, that isn't enough. It takes me longer to get the strip out of the container, stick it in, cock the lancet device and squeeze the finger. Four fewer seconds means little. (And for the record, they don't offer a meter with a one-second test.)
So why is it that I haven't made the switch? Save myself and my insurance company some money, and guy generic?
I have no good answer, except that I've been with One Touch for so long now, it almost feels like cheating to flirt with another brand.
But you know what? I'm flirting now.
So, my fellow diabetics...this is where you come in. Have you "made the switch"? Have you asked the mirror on the wall which is the fairest meter of them all? If so, were you pleased with the switch to generic?
