@AlfieT Do you mind telling me which part of the country you're in? Is this a one-off or have you switched over fully to L3 now?
-
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.
-
Learn more about joining the Diabetes UK Support Forum team here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/volunteering-opportunities-why-dont-you-join-us.112862/
Has anyone got libre 3
- Thread starter curlygirl
- Start date
- Status
@Inka Great to have the choice. Would you mind telling me which part of the country you're in?
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
They aren’t on the same tariff, so in NHS terms there isn’t a straight swap as the funding pots are different.
So an area would have to be willing to move you from Libre 2 (available to all people with T1) to realtime CGM, which is financed through a different pathway, and with different NICE guidelines.
Glad you got on well with it, and hope you get offered libre3 if you have found it helpful 🙂
I saw my Endo a few days ago. They confirmed to me no one in our integrated care system area is using Freestyle Libre 3 because ultimately the ICS has to pay for the Libre 3 sensors through the funding arrangements used and my ICS hasn't (won't?) implemented the pan-London criteria for continuous glucose monitors and flash glucose monitors, that were approved across NHS London on 5 October 2022.
There is a big announcement coming in April regarding closed loop and CGM. This announcement should pave the way for T1s to be able to get the Libre3.
That said, I purchased a Dexcom G7 for my daughter to try. She liked it. The only thing I didn't like is that it cuts out if you are sleeping on the arm with the Dexcom in. We wanted to compare it to the Libre 3, so I put my brain into gear.
I tried Abbott UK who are like talking to a brick wall. They know nothing, will tell you nothing.
I looked online and realised that you can buy a Libre 3 in Germany or USA. However, Germany won't ship to the UK because of Brexit. So I looked into the USA. They won't ship internationally but I found Stackry who are a re-sender. They give you an address in New Hampshire in the US, receive the package and then resend it to the UK. This worked perfectly...but...
It turns out that Abbott are beyond anally retentive. We installed the Libre 3 software on the iPhone but it won't activate a US purchased sensor. I downloaded the USA Libre 3 software as an APK for my android phone and installed it. They have deliberately programmed it to make a check with Abbott and have blocked it if it isn't installed from the Play Store. We couldn't switch to the US App store on the iPhone. Eventually I found an older Android Phone (Pixel 2), installed a VPN, created a new google profile USA based, switched the Play Store based on that profile linked to my Paypal account which had to be configured to have USD as well as GBP. This finally allowed me to download the US Libre 3 software and install it. Result!!
Of course having installed it Abbott are arrogant enough that they choose the format of your blood glucose readings based on your country so we are having to use the US measurements and put them through a calculator app to get the UK mmol/l measurement.
In my daughters "pro" column - the Libre 3 is smallest. In the "con" column is just about everything else. The Dexcom hurts less to put on, she preferred the interface and for my part, the customer service is literally at the opposite pole from Abbott. My experience is that I wouldn't touch Abbott with a barge pole. They have been consistently unhelpful.
If you do want to purchase from abroad, the above is a cautionary tale. I believe you can't even use a German sensor in the Netherlands.
That said, I purchased a Dexcom G7 for my daughter to try. She liked it. The only thing I didn't like is that it cuts out if you are sleeping on the arm with the Dexcom in. We wanted to compare it to the Libre 3, so I put my brain into gear.
I tried Abbott UK who are like talking to a brick wall. They know nothing, will tell you nothing.
I looked online and realised that you can buy a Libre 3 in Germany or USA. However, Germany won't ship to the UK because of Brexit. So I looked into the USA. They won't ship internationally but I found Stackry who are a re-sender. They give you an address in New Hampshire in the US, receive the package and then resend it to the UK. This worked perfectly...but...
It turns out that Abbott are beyond anally retentive. We installed the Libre 3 software on the iPhone but it won't activate a US purchased sensor. I downloaded the USA Libre 3 software as an APK for my android phone and installed it. They have deliberately programmed it to make a check with Abbott and have blocked it if it isn't installed from the Play Store. We couldn't switch to the US App store on the iPhone. Eventually I found an older Android Phone (Pixel 2), installed a VPN, created a new google profile USA based, switched the Play Store based on that profile linked to my Paypal account which had to be configured to have USD as well as GBP. This finally allowed me to download the US Libre 3 software and install it. Result!!
Of course having installed it Abbott are arrogant enough that they choose the format of your blood glucose readings based on your country so we are having to use the US measurements and put them through a calculator app to get the UK mmol/l measurement.
In my daughters "pro" column - the Libre 3 is smallest. In the "con" column is just about everything else. The Dexcom hurts less to put on, she preferred the interface and for my part, the customer service is literally at the opposite pole from Abbott. My experience is that I wouldn't touch Abbott with a barge pole. They have been consistently unhelpful.
If you do want to purchase from abroad, the above is a cautionary tale. I believe you can't even use a German sensor in the Netherlands.
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Yes. I've read enough similar warnings that I thought everyone knew. One suggestion is that the devices need separate certification in each region and perhaps region locking in this way is required.
You could try Juggluco, though it doesn't sound like there's been a lot of experience with US Libre 3 sensors http://jkaltes.byethost16.com/Juggluco/libre3/
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Got to admire your ingenuity and tenacity!
Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I think all that is common knowledge, it’s not new with the libre 3 that you can’t use sensors from other countries with the UK app or the other combinations you mentioned. It’s always been like that.
I must not be terribly common then. My conclusion that Dexcom know what they are doing and Abbott deserve to go out of business stands though 🙂.
I’m pretty sure they aren’t making different devices for each region. What I don’t understand is why they don’t sell the thing. It can’t be that hard if Dexcom can do it. Nor do I understand why the UK Abbott people pretend to have no information and that you must go to your diabetes team. Secrecy is bad. Full stop.
Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Abbot do specify in the compatible sensors info in the app that it won’t work if your sensor is from a different region
It is not secrecy - it is that Abbott UK cannot sell Libre 3 in the UK.
I appreciate it is frustrating but selling and providing medical supplies is complex and different for each country according to things like supplies and approvals and agreements with, in the case of the UK, NHS,
Plus country specific media is common beyond medical equipment and software - I always avoid downloading apps to my phone when overseas (apart from for local public transport) for this reason.
It's called "geoblocking" and it is perfectly legal for the owners of intellectual property rights (and the Freestyle Libre system is intellectual property essentially) to limit (or block) access to features or content of their intellectual property geographically for all of the reasons @helli has mentioned above.
HM government are perfectly entitled to enter into an agreement with the owner of a product containing intellectual property rights and request that access to some or all features of that product be "geoblocked" on various grounds. Health and economic being just two.
Some or all of a medical device's features are geoblocked frequently for regulatory reasons.
Abbott have entered into an agreement with NHS England to provide the Libre 3 as part of the NHS England Supply Chain. It is clear from all the previous press announcements that, for the time being at least, the NHS (in England) wants to limit the use of Libre 3 in England to those who will use it as part of a so called "hybrid closed loop" system with an insulin pump or whose diabetes is deemed "complex" clinically.
At present diabetics resident in England can only get and use the Libre 3 from the NHS if they meet specific criteria. It would defeat the purpose of Abbott and the NHS England entering into their agreement if it were possible for any of us to buy a "non-UK" Libre 3 sensor from abroad and use it.
As an aside, it is also clear from the internet recently that Abbott is having issues keeping up with supplying Libre 3 sensors in Germany (where the product was first launched and is available freely to buy) and USA (where Libre 3 is also available freely).
HM government are perfectly entitled to enter into an agreement with the owner of a product containing intellectual property rights and request that access to some or all features of that product be "geoblocked" on various grounds. Health and economic being just two.
Some or all of a medical device's features are geoblocked frequently for regulatory reasons.
Abbott have entered into an agreement with NHS England to provide the Libre 3 as part of the NHS England Supply Chain. It is clear from all the previous press announcements that, for the time being at least, the NHS (in England) wants to limit the use of Libre 3 in England to those who will use it as part of a so called "hybrid closed loop" system with an insulin pump or whose diabetes is deemed "complex" clinically.
At present diabetics resident in England can only get and use the Libre 3 from the NHS if they meet specific criteria. It would defeat the purpose of Abbott and the NHS England entering into their agreement if it were possible for any of us to buy a "non-UK" Libre 3 sensor from abroad and use it.
As an aside, it is also clear from the internet recently that Abbott is having issues keeping up with supplying Libre 3 sensors in Germany (where the product was first launched and is available freely to buy) and USA (where Libre 3 is also available freely).
Last edited:
I agree. I still think that it's ridiculous.
Dexcom also have agreements with NHSE. I doubt that the NHS have insisted on exclusivity with Abbott.
Why? You can buy a Dexcom G7, G6 or Dexcom One.
So essentially they have manufacturing issues (presumably as they are now focusing on selling the Libre 2 as a sports accessory).
@icowden This made for an interesting read. Thanks for sharing. Great that your tenacity paid off. Sounds like the G7 is leading the pack at the moment. April isn't far off. Very interested to hear what the big announcement is. If L3s will become more accessible to T1s, will G7s? Just checking, is this about NHS access?
Last edited:
Essentially, yes. It seems to be a decision around the NICE guidance around making closed loop available to a wider cohort of T1s. The complication with the Libre 3 seems to be that the deal they have done with Abbott has moved it from a prescription item to a medical logistics product which means that the funding source is not via the GP but via the Hospital Diabetes Team.
I would imagine that the G7 will also be included but only if Dexcom have a link with a closed loop capable pump manufacturer. I have looked at the guidance but they started drafting it about 3 years ago so a lot of the pump and CGM references are badly out of date.
From a practical point of view a G7 isn't much more expensive than a Libre 2 and a Libre 3 is the same cost. Insulet have said that they will offer the Ominpod 5 or Horizon at the same price as the Dash.
Therefore it seems like it should be a no-brainer to upgrade a T1 on the Dash and Libre 2 to Horizon and either Libre 3 or Dexcom G7.
- Status