Glucose Meter not within control limits.

[s5oxy]

I am new to testing (end October 2023) and am using a GlucoRx Nexus Blue blood glucose meter just once a day for Type 2 diabetes.
It's been fine but doing control solution tests I have now found they are not within the control limits. It should be between 6.4 and 8.6 but it's up to 11.5.
Tried the GlucoRx helpline which is only open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
The instructions said do not do any real testing until the issue is sorted.
Does this sort of thing happen often?
Would the best action be to contact my NHS Health Centre who provided the meter, or contact the GlucoRx helpline on Monday?
Thank you

 

[grovesy]

The right action is to contact GlucoRx, Monday.

 

[s5oxy]

Thanks for your advice, Grovesy.
Phoned GlucoRx and they were very helpful, a new meter is on its way to me.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Thanks for your advice, Grovesy.
Phoned GlucoRx and they were very helpful, a new meter is on its way to me.

Hi @s5oxy. Glad you've got help. For the manufacturers their profit is heavily in the test strips, not the meters and if they can keep you as a happy customer you are unlikely to leave and their healthy profits will be sustained! Many of us get a 2nd meter from a manufacturer; not just as a safe spare - but one upstairs, one downstairs is convenient ; or in the car to be sure we are always meeting the DVLA remit (if for the car the strips can deteriorate in hot weather - so that needs monitoring); or one at work (but be alert to an open pack of strips getting out of date).

You asked if test meters get out of kilter frequently - I think not very frequently, but my experience is with Accu-Chek meters. But you did well to check and meters aren't very expensive to manufacture, which does make them widely available, allows them to compete with other manufacturers and keeps them in the wider diabetes medications market. For very reliable and ultra- accurate test meters we'd probably need a backpack to carry one around and they would be prohibitively expensive for the NHS. The link below is recent and you might find helpful.

How accurate is my glucose monitor? | JDRF

jdrf.org.uk

There is also a list of the accuracy tolerances that are required in UK for test meters, which is basically +/- 15%. I can't immediately find this, but will do a deeper search and send that on later today. Hope this helps.