Switch from Libre 2 to Dexcom G6

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travellor said:
You seem to believe "making a profit" in a business is inherently bad?
How long could they continue for if they make a continuous loss?
How would they fund manufacture, research, development?
If you work, would you expect your company not to make any profits, and still expect to be paid?
Personally, I would prefer them to continue to make products, make profits, and to innovate and advance those products.
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Okay. I’ll rephrase that.
‘Making astronomical profits’
 
rebrascora said:
Yes, but if you have very limited funds and you are looking at buying something which will be an ongoing drain on your resources, then you have to decide if you can afford it and if the benefit outweighs the extra cost. I toyed with starting self funding Dexcom because when I was first interested, Libre were having manufacturing problems and were not accepting any new customers and that went on for over 6 months I believe. Not only was the Dexcom a lot more expensive but it seemed you had to commit to a long term contract. It was beyond my means to do so, so I waited until Libre was available and self funded for several months before I was lucky enough to get it on prescription.

For the majority of us, Libre is lifechanging, even if it isn't perfect but I think Dexcom may not be perfect either.
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Well no nothings perfect. I guess im just unlikely with libre but glad they stay working for others 🙂
 
Bruce Stephens said:
That was why I started with Libre, too.

A DSN mentioned it (back before he could offer it on prescription) and I looked at Libre and Dexcom (maybe another one, too), and Libre had a nice simple offer: £150 for a reader and two sensors, with a nice familiar looking web shop. The others looked much more involved (I'm not sure they even gave prices).

So Libre won.
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I think Libre may well be available on NHS for some T2 within a couple of years.
 
AnnSebastian said:
I think Libre may well be available on NHS for some T2 within a couple of years.
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Most likely this year, presuming the proposed NICE guideline updates are accepted. Only for a limited set (pretty much those on MDI insulin who (if they were T1) would qualify now).

Maybe it'll be expanded again but I'd guess not by that much (even test strips aren't generally offered to people with T2).
 
AnnSebastian said:
What do you actually want from me?
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Its a diabetes forum.
Wind in the insults.
We don't all want to know what axe you have to grind with the world.
It gets tedious in every thread you post on.
Since you asked.
 
travellor said:
Its a diabetes forum.
Wind in the insults.
We don't all want to know what axe you have to grind with the world.
It gets tedious in every thread you post on.
Since you asked.
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So why are you bothering to read my posts?
 
AnnSebastian said:
So why are you bothering to read my posts?
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For the same reason you seem to be reading mine.
And saying as we all use these companies, it seems fair to provide truthful accurate information on them to counter your posts.
However, this is way off topic now.
 
I’m tempted to post google search results for ‘share prices’ ‘profit’ ‘market share’ predicted rise in demand for ‘CGMs’ But I’m sure you know that already..
Anyway. I’m off.
Goodnight
Ann
 
rebrascora said:
Abbott already has it's foot well and truly in the NHS door, so I am not sure there is any leverage there
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I was staggered when I was shown a website that revealed how much the Gov't and NHS were spending on Covid measures. This included multiples of £millions to Abbott for PPE and other Covid assistance. I did a back of envelope guesstimate and decided that not only was this making Abbott very secure financially, but the annual income from Libre was going to be trivial in relation to Covid receipts.
rebrascora said:
and the world wide private market where they almost certainly sell the product for more than the NHS has negotiated, will be a much bigger market but as you have said, the product concept is so good and it's use a real game changer in diabetes management, that most people are prepared to overlook or put up with it's unreliability.
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The real problem is that people have no avenue of redress for the Libre unreliability.

The NHS will have a cost centre manager for the Libre expenditure and normally that person is the one to reach out to, as last resort, if something funded from within Treasury rules isn't all that it might be. But that person seems to have abrogated that responsibility. If you have a problem, you go direct to Abbott - which is slick and responsive. But it conceals from the contract manager the extent of service unreliability. If this were pencils and paper, that might be acceptable. But this is medically vital. So many managers, yet so little management it seems.
rebrascora said:
There are other similar products on the market (like the Dexcom) which may be more reliable, but are also more expensive. Abbott really pitched it right by making the Libre slightly more affordable.
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I couldn't even avoid slef fund libre but even if I could want to with the problems I had with them
 
It is not just the development costs for all these 'medical' devices and drugs that is staggering it is the amount that it paid by the companies to lawyers, applications for patents, regulatory bodies not to mention the middlemen. Hence such vast cost to the end user be that the NHS or the individual.
 
I see you say it isn't that much more expensive than Libre but that totally depends on how your buying them, also they don't last as long as a Libre unless you restart them which can't guarantee the same accuracy, to pay as you go self fund Dexcom the sensors are only £51.25 for one or £153.75 for 3 but then you have the £200 for a new transmitter every 3 months as well
 
mikeyB said:
At my recent diabetic appointment, I announced that I wanted to switch from Libre 2 to Dexcom. The consultant went a bit pale and said she'd have to apply for special funding. Don''t worry, said I I'll pay for it. And have done. I've let them know I'm on Dexcom Clarity, so they can view my progress.

It's like moving from a horse and cart to a car. I downloaded the App on to my phone (Apple iPhone 12 Pro running iOS 15.3), and it instantly appeared on my watch (again, Apple Watch 7 currently using watchOS 8.4). Had no problem linking it to the transmitter on the sensor. It has to be said, being a CGM using interstitial fluid for readings still means have to use blood tests for very high or low readings, but as I've got Siri announcing alerts, those should be avoided.

But just being able to look at my watch during football games, or driving my Mobility Scooter is a huge transformation. And because it accumulates data every 5 minutes, I can see the direction of travel and its rate on my watch and take any appropriate action. Including injecting insulin in front of 16,000 folk and TV cameras.

I know most of this is available on this is available on Libre 2, but looking at the lengths folk have to go to (including logging on to the poisonous Facebook) to get the Libre 2 to even appear on the watch, Dexcom wins hands down.

And I know financially it's out of most people's reach, but it isn't that much more expensive than the Libre, which until the last year always self funded. That is prescribed, so really there's no reason why folk who need CGM can't get the Dexcom on prescription. I'm sure that is coming, once the government starts working again instead of spending their time supporting that serial liar.
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Hi Mikey, I've been using a Dexcom G6 since 2019, and apart from problems with reacting to the glue on the sensor, it has worked pretty well. I feel much more secure re hypos at night-time. My consultant said I would be eligible for Libre, but that Dexcom was better, so while I can afford to pay for it (luckily from an inheritance) I will. However now going to ask about a pump as numbers are a bit crazy.
 
The significant difference between the Dexcom G6 and the Libre is that like all sensors that use interstitial fluid to assess BG rather than blood, they can vary, If the drift significantly, Libre users are stuck with this, phone Abbott to get a new sensor. With the G6 you can get it under control by calibrating it to a contemporaneous BG test. Once it knows your current BG it behaves perfectly. I just did a BG test for fun, and it showed 8.8. The Dexcom said 8.9.
 
mikeyB said:
The significant difference between the Dexcom G6 and the Libre is that like all sensors that use interstitial fluid to assess BG rather than blood, they can vary, If the drift significantly, Libre users are stuck with this, phone Abbott to get a new sensor. With the G6 you can get it under control by calibrating it to a contemporaneous BG test. Once it knows your current BG it behaves perfectly. I just did a BG test for fun, and it showed 8.8. The Dexcom said 8.9.
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Can it also keep up with fast drops? I think being able fix if it goes wonky is usful
 
It does keep up with fast drops, I just look out for the downward double arrow. As I said originally, as with the Libre (or any CGM) it's always safer to use BGs for rapid changes, to monitor recovery as well.
 
mikeyB said:
It does keep up with fast drops, I just look out for the downward double arrow. As I said originally, as with the Libre (or any CGM) it's always safer to use BGs for rapid changes, to monitor recovery as well.
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I got told off for doing bg checks because of situations that of rapid changes while on the libre
 
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