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Accu-chek mobile

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

stacey_w

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
My mum got us one of these for free (she saw it on the Internet and applied for it which was lovely of her). It doesn't use strips though it's a cassette that's inside the meter but it's awesome! I've just emailed our DSN to see if the cassettes are available on prescription as they are actually cheaper than strips if we were buying them ourselves. I hope we can because it would be much better for school etc as they insist on sending all of his strips home with him everyday. Just wondered if any of you use one and have managed to get the cassettes on prescription? x
 
Hi Stacy,

Yes I use this meter too - I also applied for one online after I saw an advert for it. I much prefer this to the meter I was given when I was first diagnosed, mainly because of the cartridge system, it's so much easier to use when you are out and about than having to faff about with test strips. I got my prescription changed to get the cassettes - just asked my GP.
If you register the meter on their website they will send you a nice little case for it too.
 
Lorien said:
Hi Stacy,

Yes I use this meter too - I also applied for one online after I saw an advert for it. I much prefer this to the meter I was given when I was first diagnosed, mainly because of the cartridge system, it's so much easier to use when you are out and about than having to faff about with test strips. I got my prescription changed to get the cassettes - just asked my GP.
If you register the meter on their website they will send you a nice little case for it too.
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I am going to do this later. It's much less hassle than messing with the strips. I love it!
 
I use this meter a lot when I'm out and about as u say it's much easier when shopping or in car for example but my practice nurse who deals with diabetes refused me the cassettes as too expensive so I self fund for the mobile meter. Hope you have better luck, your dsn sounds lovely
Jo
 
jocat said:
I use this meter a lot when I'm out and about as u say it's much easier when shopping or in car for example but my practice nurse who deals with diabetes refused me the cassettes as too expensive so I self fund for the mobile meter. Hope you have better luck, your dsn sounds lovely
Jo
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The cassettes are cheaper than the strips in the shops though. I'm hoping that on that basis alone we can get them on prescription. I may have to write a persuasive letter to my GP if not haha! Our DSN is lovely, we are very lucky to have her. X
 
I had one of those only problem I found is the number of wasted tests. If you even open the door cover you waste a test.
 
palmoff said:
I had one of those only problem I found is the number of wasted tests. If you even open the door cover you waste a test.
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I will make sure we don't do that then thanks for the heads up 🙂 x
 
I also heard ages ago, from a builder who used to have one - that it doesn't like the cold very much! Mind you most Accu-Chek meters don't - or the heat - I accidentally left one in the sun one day whilst on hols and it refused to even turn on. Stuck it in the wardrobe in the dark for an hour, and it was fine. I imagine you just have to warm them up nearer to you if they suffer from cold - but perhaps not ideal to eg take skiing?
 
trophywench said:
I also heard ages ago, from a builder who used to have one - that it doesn't like the cold very much! Mind you most Accu-Chek meters don't - or the heat - I accidentally left one in the sun one day whilst on hols and it refused to even turn on. Stuck it in the wardrobe in the dark for an hour, and it was fine. I imagine you just have to warm them up nearer to you if they suffer from cold - but perhaps not ideal to eg take skiing?
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Haha skiing does not appeal to me in the slightest so that shouldn't be an issue! i will make a note to keep it at a good temperature! It's like having a grown up tamagotchi haha!
 
I have one, you shouldn't have any problem getting the cassettes from the GP I didn't and if my surgery can manage it then it should be fine 🙄. I didn't get on with it to be honest, it was very temperamental but I think I got a faulty one, they sent me another but by then I'd developed a deep and lasting relationship with my contour next USB so I didn't bother trying again. Definitely easier for school days I would have thought though so hope you don't have any issues with the prescription for the cassettes 🙂
 
Thanks Kooky. I will keep my strip ones as back up just in case the same thing happens to us 🙂 Riley is very impressed with it!
 
Ive got one too. I had no problems with getting the cassettes on prescription form my gp.
 
I would second all the other comments here - it's definitely a less messy meter to use, and you don't leave the trail of test strips that is the traditional calling card of anyone controlling their diabetes! I've never had temperature probs either (even when snowboarding).

My only issues I've had with it are it can waste tape quite easily, it does seem to use quite a lot of blood, and it is ruddy noisy with no light - which can be an issue when you're testing at night. It won't be an issue for Riley but I have a whole elaborate routine involving stuffing the meter under the pillow at the right moment to avoid disturbing a sleeping partner!
 
Cassettes are freely available on prescription for the Accuchek. Not very long ago they were difficult to get hold of on prescription due to cost but a lot of GP's are now OK with them. If you need to buy them there is a pharmacy in Merseyside who sell the meter and cassette for about £15.00. I think that this is a mistake on their part but have not told them. If anybody would like one I will call in and see if they still have them. I have a love / hate / hate relationship with mine. It is the most compact and probably the cleverest finger prick meter that I have ever used and I have used a lot of different types. The management software is excellent and very intuitive. You need to register with Roche and it is then a free download. If you do this ensure that you tell them no marketing information as they will hound you to the gates of hell if you don't. The downside of the meter is that they are very, very temperamental. They come up with errors even if you are not smiling when you prick your finger. The technical support people at Roche are always very pleasant but insist on dragging you through a tick box checklist before agreeing to send you a replacement. They insist that all of the faults that occur are through user error. If you try Doctor Google however a lot of the people report all of the same error codes. They are still however at least in my opinion one of the best finger prick test meters available.
 
Don't forget you can get you can get spare batteries for free from them as well. Do take these spares with you as there is absolutely no warning whatsoever that batteries are running down - it just suddenly refuses to test til you change them. Not very handy when you are out and have a hypo!!! That is the only downside apart from wanting a big dollop of blood but it does seem as if it is critical to get the drop right in the centre I have found on mine.
 
I feel it uses less blood than the strips haha! The DSN had faxed my GP this morning to alter the prescription. Yay! we aren't carb counting at the mo. Does it allow you to enter the carb values like the expert does?
 
stacey_w said:
I feel it uses less blood than the strips haha! The DSN had faxed my GP this morning to alter the prescription. Yay! we aren't carb counting at the mo. Does it allow you to enter the carb values like the expert does?
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The meter itself does not accept carbohydrate values. You can however enter this manually on a computer into the management software program I think. Personally I have never used this facility in there software and only used the results to enter into Excel spreadsheets to plonk onto the lap of my previous GP who was getting very twitchy regarding the volume of test cassettes that I was going through. Spreadsheets can be really useful if you want to interpret trends and micro manage your condition. They do however need regular input of data which can be a real discomfort in the area below the small of your back 😳
 
Diabeticliberty said:
The meter itself does not accept carbohydrate values. You can however enter this manually on a computer into the management software program I think. Personally I have never used this facility in there software and only used the results to enter into Excel spreadsheets to plonk onto the lap of my previous GP who was getting very twitchy regarding the volume of test cassettes that I was going through. Spreadsheets can be really useful if you want to interpret trends and micro manage your condition. They do however need regular input of data which can be a real discomfort in the area below the small of your back 😳
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Fallen out with it this morning already. It won't switch on at all and the batteries can't be dead already?! (We've only done 5 tests with it).
 
stacey_w said:
Fallen out with it this morning already. It won't switch on at all and the batteries can't be dead already?! (We've only done 5 tests with it).
Click to expand...
Accu Chek meters have a bit of notoriety where batteries are concerned - it's not that the batteries have run out, it's the contacts in the meter. Try removing the batteries then putting them back in. I had two Nano meters that had this problem, in the end I stopped using them because I wasn't confident they'd work when I was out and about :( Give Customer Services a call.
 
That is a bummer, all my meters have used the button batteries and seem to last for ever.
 
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