Louisville gray market for diabetic strips has pharmacists concerned
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A secondhand market for medical supplies has local pharmacists concerned about the risks to patients.
Buyers have been advertising on telephone poles throughout Louisville, trying to resell diabetic testing strips online at discounted prices.
The practice is not necessarily illegal, as long as people do not commit Medicare, Medicaid or insurance fraud with the transaction.
“Test strips can be sensitive to light, humidity and temperature so … if anything were ever to affect the integrity of the product, there definitely could be a safety concern,” said Maggie Mangino, an assistant pharmacist with Norton Healthcare.
Pharmacists warn expired testing strips can also lead to inaccurate results.
“You wouldn’t know exactly what your glucose level was at,” said Bradley Hall, a diabetic patient. “It could be dangerous. You could take too much medicine or not enough.”
Hall tests his blood sugar levels three times a day and says it can get very expensive, especially when he is without insurance.
Prices vary depending on brand. Some medical supply companies sell strips for more than $160 without insurance for 100 strips. As a result, many people switch to a more affordable brand when cost is an issue. But even that can be expensive.
“There are places online that you can sell your strips for a substantial amount less,” Hal. said.
If cost is still a concern, patients can learn about
Filed under: General Problems
Even programs that have free or discounted diabetic supplies require you to go through a doctor to get them. I can see why people would be taking the risk. If the powers that be are so concerned perhaps they should make them more accessible to the very poor who have no income yet don’t qualify for a ANY medical assistance!