Some frequently asked questions with answers from Diathrive
Since our business is offering diabetic test strips for sale at a much lower cost than any other provider, people frequently ask Diathrive questions like:
- Why should I buy diabetic test strips?
- How do diabetic test strips work?
- How much do diabetic test strips cost?
- Why are diabetic test strips so expensive? What's the price of generic diabetic test strips?
- Do you have discount diabetic test strips? Do you have low-cost diabetic test strips?
- Do you need a prescription for diabetic test strips?
- Can expired diabetic test strips give false readings? Do diabetic test strips go bad? Why do they put an expiration date on diabetic test strips?
- What are the different brands of diabetic test strips? Does the brand matter?
Why should I buy diabetes test strips?
A glucose meter and test strips are needed in order to check your blood sugar, the most important starting point for managing your diabetes. If you don't know what your blood sugar is doing, you can't know what you need to do to manage it. Your doctor will often tell you how many times per day you should check your blood sugar. But, you may need to check more often in order to self-manage your diabetes.
How do diabetes test strips work?
A drop of blood is applied to the intake port on the test strip, usually indicated by a clear area in the strip where you can see the blood run up the strip. Inside the strip, the blood mixes with an enzyme. The meter then runs electricity through that mixture. The meter gauges the resistance to the electricity to determine your blood sugar reading.
How much do diabetes test strips cost?
Generally, the answer is TOO MUCH! That's why we created Diathrive. There is no good reason for the prices you are used to seeing at the counter.
Why are diabetic test strips so expensive, and what's the price of generic diabetic test strips?
Test strips are generally so expensive because the manufacturers and insurance companies want to make as much money as possible. The cost to manufacture a vial of 50 test strips is only a few dollars. The marketing agencies, distributers, insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and pharmacy all add cost layers that add up and come out of your pocket. These layers can push test strips up to $1 per test strip.
Do you have discount low-cost test strips?
Diathrive offers high-quality diabetes testing supplies at an affordable, reasonable cost. We bypass the added cost layers to get our strips down to 16¢ per test strip.
Do you need a prescription for test strips?
If you purchase strips using your insurance you need a prescription and might have to meet other requirements including copays at the pharmacy counter. With Diathrive you don't need insurance or a prescription. We sell directly to you. Learn why you don't need insurance or prescriptions here.
Can expired test strips give a false reading? Do they all go bad?
The most important consideration when buying test strips is accuracy. Diathrive provides you with control solution at no cost so you can always verify the accuracy of your test strips. Learn more about test strip accuracy here.
Diabetic test strips have an expiration date because the enzyme on the strip can be affected by heat, cold, moisture, age and other factors. Damaged or expired strips can give false readings that are very far from your true blood sugar. We always send strips that are at least a year from their expiration date. Usually, you have about 15-18 months to use your strips before they expire.
Does brand of glucose meters and test strips matter?
It is most important to make sure to use the same brand of meter and strip. Don't mix two different brands.
There are many brands of meters and strips available in the US. Most of them are big brands who overcharge for their products. This continues to perpetuate the financial burden of living with diabetes. Diathrive's prices are 30-90% lower than our competition and you get your supplies through priority mail. We're the most affordable, convenient option to get hospital quality diabetes testing supplies. Most importantly, we are transparent with our pricing while most brands wouldn't dare show their markups.
Ready for a new and improved way to manage your blood sugar? Click below to try us out!
