Anyone Bought An INR Home Testing Machine?

Penny-Pincher!!

I think so there is only the one.

PP
xx

mr_rush

So what was the outcome?

Penny-Pincher!!

mr_rush wrote: »

So what was the outcome?

Sorry!:rotfl:

I spoke to them yesterday as I wasnt well enough to attend last week and they have agreed to fully back me:j :j :j :j ....basically, I would have to still attend there for a few weeks and run tests at home alongside the kit to see the difference etc and if they are happy with similar readings, then I should only have to attend every few weeks or when unwell.

I am just waiting to hear back from my GP about the test strips as they are very expensive...around £220 for 48 tests:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: ....but I have already been offered a secondhand machine 2 years old for less than half the price new:D and she lives locally and will run through it all with me if I buy from her.

Many thanks for all the advice.

PP
xx

zztopgirl

Well done:T and fingers crossed for you that you can get the half price machine!:beer:

I had to attend the inr clinic for 3 months and hated it, i got quite a lot of dirty looks from the elderly and they would push in front of me in the queue. Also had to wait at least 2 hours to be seen every week. I heard about the home testing machine which was a possibility if i was going to be on warfarin for a long time/life but thankfully i stabilised and came off them. Still keep my little orange book as a memento though.

Plus dont forget that moneysaving pharmacist said you can get the test strips on prescription, so you only have to make a one-off payment for the machine.:j

ABH_3

moneysaving_pharmacist wrote: »

Coagucheck machines are not available at NHS expense (but then neither are blood glucose meters). The test strips and lancets are available on prescription. The test strips need to be kept in the fridge, although the box isn't that large. I've only come across one or two patients with their own coagucheck.

In the area I work the hospitals don't really do INR clinics - once a patient is initiated and reasonably stabilised they are looked after by a nurse led clinic at a GP surgery, or a pharmcist led clinic at a comunity pharmacy. This works well because it's easier and more convienent for patients to go to their GP surgey or a pharmacy than trek across to the hospital. Even if you were self testing you still need to be under the care of a clinic somewhere to take care of dose adjustment, although this could probably be done over the phone.

Penney-pincher, I wouldn't have thought your GP would have a problem prescribing warfarin for you if you were self testing, as you'd still be under the care of a clinic somewhere. At least it would mean your GP is aware of the fact that you are on warfarin (they aren't always - if the clinic supplies warfarin and communication breaks down somewhere then the GP may not know a patient is on warfarin).

I thought this best to ask you as your pseudonym sugests you're a Pharmacist. But are there any alternatives to the Coagucheck system that you know of? Or is there only coagucheck if you're home testing?

Thanks.

moneysaving_pharmacist

Coagucheck is the only system I've come across, but I've just found out there are others as well:
-HemoSense INRatio
-ProTime3
-SmartCheck INR

and the test strips for the above are prescribable on the NHS.

ABH_3

moneysaving_pharmacist wrote: »

Coagucheck is the only system I've come across, but I've just found out there are others as well:
-HemoSense INRatio
-ProTime3
-SmartCheck INR

and the test strips for the above are prescribable on the NHS.

Fantastic, thank you for that. Dissapointingly it's looking like the Coagucheck may be the cheapest to run. I received some literature and a dvd demonstration of how the system works, it's not dissimilar to the way that diabetes is checked.

!!!!! finger, place blood droplet onto 'stick' insert into machine. Wait a minute then receive result. The only thing I don't understand is how to determine whether I should increase\decrease my warfarin. That seems to require 'further training' at a cost of £125.00 a lot less than what my Warfarin Clinic would have me believe unfortunately.

For the benefit of anyone that comes accross this subject and wonders about the Coagucheck XS the costings from the information pack I received are as follows:

Coagucheck XS : £399.00 after a £49 down payment then payments of £35 to the value. This includes the manual etc plus 6 test strips, lancets and a video\dvd of how to use it.

Coagucheck Test strips in 24 pack: £123.83
Coagucheck Test strips in 12 pack: £31.67
Coagucheck PT Check liquid: £10.88

Softclix Lancets for 200 : £ 6.93
Softclix XL Lancets for 50 : £1.73

Hopefully the above will benefit somebody and hopefully one of the other systems will be a little bit cheaper

Thanks again for the other device names.

moneysaving_pharmacist

Even if you are home testing you should still be under the care of whoever is looking after your warfarin at the moment. Warfarin is not appropriate for self determination of dosing, and most doctors, nurses and pharmacists who adjust warfarin doses use computer programs to assist them. The way I see home testing working is that you test yourself and get the result, then contact whoever looks after you and they tell you what your dose is and when next to test.

Test strips and lancets are available on NHS prescription, so no need for you to worry about the cost of them.

OverlandLandy

Hi All

I'm in the same position of now of looking for a self testing kit.
The best (in terms of usability and the fact that you do not need to keep the test strips in the fridge) appears to be the Roche CoaguChek XS. I can find it for £399inc postage etc.... does anyone know of a better offer?

I need to check if I can get the strips on prescription, but I know that some NHS hospitals are now using this kit (Yorkhill).

I work away from home a lot and I need to change my work patterns around to accommodate the clinic. As I'm on Warfarin for life it does make some sense. My company are also supporting it and are going to make a 'contribution' to-wards the cost.

I have spoken the the Clinic and they have confirmed that they are happy to support me self testing & self medicating. I need to go and use it along side their test a couple of times so they can check that I'm OK with it. They did not have a concern over me self dosing as I have been on it for a couple of years now and I can tell the Nurse what my dose needs to be. They did say that generally 'younger' people can handle do it but that they would not recommend that an older person who may get confused should self test. I guess I know what they mean, but I don't think its an age thing, just more to do with comprehension - especially where you need differing doses each day to get your level back again.

OverlandLandy

I have now got my Coagucheck XS tester.
It is pretty accurate <.2 variation vs the clinic machine.

As I travel away a lot at the moment it is really saving money already.

My work paid the full cost (as it saved them flight costs and me having to miss meetings). it was £399 from Roche direct (and no Vat was added).

I test on the same day of the week and just call the clinic if the reading has changed and they re-dose me.

Hope this helps