• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Accu Check Expert software

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
P

Pigeon

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi there,

I got given an Accu-Check Expert meter last week by my clinic to use for bolus advice etc. I've had a quick play with it and it looks useful, although I'm not using it fully at the moment as I'm using up old test strips for my Contour USB.

The Expert doesn't come with any software to download and analyse readings and so I emailed the helpline to ask for it, only to be told that the new software, called AccuCheck 360, costs ?25! They don't provide a free software anymore, apparently. So I've emailed back saying that's pretty poor when other meters come with free software, and bearing in mind how much Roche make from the prescription of tests strips.

I've said in my email that because they don't provide free software I will continue using my Contour USB, in the hope that they'll offer a discount, but obviously I don't really want to do that because it doesn't have the bolus advice and I've already changed my repeat prescriptions.

My questions is does anyone had this 360 software, and do you think it's worth ?25? The meter has the ability to track trends and plot graphs, but without the software I won't have the ability to print it out to show clinicians etc. Is it worth the money? I can afford it, just object on principle!
 
I've got the 360 software, which was free, although I suspect it might have been updated as I've had mine about 4 years now. It's pretty basic, I wouldn't personally spend ?25 on it. I'm very surprised to hear they are trying to charge. They did use to charge for some different software - smart-something or other. It's possible that someone has got mixed up I suppose, I've had situations where you speak to one person at Roche and they won't give you anything, then you speak to a different person and they are happy to give stuff out!

The 360 I've got only runs on XP, takes ages to load, and uses a serial connector for the infrared reader device so I can't use it on my laptop. As I say though, it's probably been upgraded. It will print out reports, including a useful single page report showing graphs and various statistics about the period selected. A Lady Godiva maybe, not a pony! (?5, not ?25 😉)
 
Hmm, I got a reply to my second email saying:
"Thank you for your query regarding the purchase price of our Information Management solution Accu-Chek 360?.



We are committed to providing people with diabetes with the latest technological solutions to support them in managing their condition and pride ourselves on the level of service and support we offer. We invest significantly in research and development to ensure that our meters, systems and therapy management support are market leading. The price of ?24.99 for our Accu-Chek 360? tool is significantly discounted against the cost of production for that item. We do, of course, offer many complimentary services and products such as meters, batteries, diaries and control solution to support our customers.



The Accu-Chek SmartPix has been discontinued due to the launch of a newer more improved Accu-Chek 360?.



If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us."

So it looks like ?25 is the way it is these days! Bit reluctant to spend that when they don't even have a trial version you could have for a limited period to test it runs ok on your PC, and it seems no-one else out there can report on whether it is worth it - they're obviously not selling many! You can get graphs and trends displayed on the meter itself, so I'll just use that for now. The only thing the download would help with really is to print out results for showing the consultant or nurse.... guess I can type a week or so's results out myself in Excel!
 
Very poor :( They make more than enough money from strips to be able to offer this free. I'd love to know what improvements they have made over their formerly free version that I currently use. I've just been sent a free Contour Next USB which has software included so am seriously thinking of changing over to that now, especially as it can be used on my W7 laptop.
 
I have the 360 software and to the best of my recollection they didn't charge me for it. But then I have a Combo pump and meter so they've already made a packet from my PCT.

It works OK with Windows 8 and the infrared sensor connects with a standard USB port. It's useful with the pump as it makes it easy to make changes to my basal rates. I'm happy with it.
 
They always wanted me to stump up ?25 for the software (which is *nothing* in software terms IMO) for the Expert, I used the analysis on the meter itself day-to-day and logged manually on the run up to appointments. A bit annoying as now I don't have good records for the time I was on the Expert to compare with the pump!

I believe 360 is given free to people using the Combo insulin pump. I can hardly believe it's worth their while collecting the few ?25s - must cost them almost that much in processing the payments!
 
I just ordered my FOC one as I'm on the pump but she didnt take any of my pump details down

I just said Ive recently started using their pump and wanted to order the software

She took my postcode down but I wasn't showing on the system even though I've registered the pump with them, so she just took my name and address and said that she'd post the software out to me

How did she know that I'm a genuine pump user?? :confused:
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top