Blood glucose monitors and test strips

Blood glucose monitors measure blood glucose concentration using a drop of venous, arterial or, mainly, capillary blood from a finger puncture. Self-monitoring of blood glucose is recognized as one approach to improve glycemic control and reduce hypoglycemic events by alerting patients with diabetes to modify their hypoglycemic drug dose, diet, and physical activities. Several different blood glucose monitors are available in Canada, and are listed in the appendices of this report. The total Canadian expenditure on blood glucose test strips in 2006 was an estimated $370 million,3 and exceeded $500 million in 2010. Although these devices were introduced three decades ago, the accuracy obtained from available blood glucose monitors and test strips remains uncertain. Furthermore, the introduction of new and relatively cheap test strips raises questions about the comparative cost-effectiveness of the available blood glucose monitors and test strips. This report will update a previous review produced by CADTH that examined the clinical and cost-effectiveness of blood glucose monitors and test strips available in Canada.