Anyone Bought An INR Home Testing Machine?

aritla

I am shortly to receive a Roche CoaguChek XS System so that I can monitor my INR at home. The funding for this is being supplied by the NHS and I was helped to obtain this by the local PCT and my GP who applied for "exceptional funding". The reason for this is because I have a needle phobia which was making life difficult because of the constant blood checks through having to take Warfarin.

However, when talking to the patient helpline at Roche I discovered that they make it easy for patients to obtain their own machines. There is a £50 discount at the moment - till the end of July 2009 - so it costs £349 but Roche have a scheme whereby a patient buying their own machine can have an interest free loan for 10 months. £35 a month for 10 months - not bad!

aritla

Roche CoaguChek XS System Patient helpline 08081007666
See above post

VfM4meplse

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).

You may be a MS pharmacist but you seem to have a singular lack of understanding of the key issue of clinical responsibility. Self-testing is fraught with risks, and should be reserved for only the most brittle patients under the direct care of a consultant haematologist. No prescriber should be providing a script solely on the basis of a patient's own INR readings. Maybe you should consult with the local experts - try your PCT medical / pharmaceutical advisers - before doling out bad advice. With the anti-coagulation services moving out into the community there is even less of a need for patients to self-test. If they wish to that is a "want" and not a clinical need, there is no obligation for the NHS to pick up the costs for unvalidated INR testing, particularly when there already is provision. Clearly there is a need to catch up on your CPD, try the NPSA alert that will offer you all kinds of insights into the safety issues around anticoagulants.

This site is not about giving health advice anyway!

VfM4meplse

aritla wrote: »

Roche CoaguChek XS System Patient helpline 08081007666
See above post

This is an income-generating helpine for Roche, no more than that!

~Chameleon~

VfM4meplse wrote: »

This is an income-generating helpine for Roche, no more than that!

How can it be an 'income-generating' helpline when it's a Freephone number?

VfM4meplse

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

How can it be an 'income-generating' helpline when it's a Freephone number?

Roche are being "helpful" to patients by suggesting all the unnecessary things that can be funded at the NHS' (ie taxpayer's) expense. That includes how to use their premium priced test strips and directing patients to their GPs for NHS prescriptions.

spikeyblonde

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Roche are being "helpful" to patients by suggesting all the unnecessary things that can be funded at the NHS' (ie taxpayer's) expense. That includes how to use their premium priced test strips and directing patients to their GPs for NHS prescriptions.

I appreciate that Roche are a profit making organisation, at the end of the day they are a drugs/medical company. You mention this is an expense to taxpayers - well i am a tax payer, i was under the impression that being a tax payer meant i was entitled to a subsidised medical service? Premium priced test strips? These retail at approximately £200 for 48 tests - I do not know the exact figures but i would bet a lot of money that going to my local clinic, taking up time with a nurse (and the other people in the chain for making the appointment), using materials and resources in that particular clinic, petrol for travelling to the clinic (or additional expense for the local nurse to perform a home visit), couriering the samples across to the local testing site, performing the test in the lab (additional time and resource), then contacting each and everyone of the patients that then needs a new dose would cost a lot more than a rough price of £4.17 per test don't you agree? If you have specific numbers to contradict what i am saying would it be possible to publish them as this would be an interesting piece of information for me to perform further research.

I am a 29 year old professional who through no fault of my own now have to take warfarin for the rest of my life - do you really think it is practical for me to take weekly blood tests when it can quite easily be done from home (utilising FAR LESS resource and money) - also when travelling abroad with work i need to be able to test for the return journey to make sure i am safe to fly - again easier than approaching a foreign health service.

I assume you are on Warfarin yourself and it doesn't bother you to take a trip to the doctors this regularly (Hence your comments) - however not everyone has the same circumstances as yourself.

If anyone has anymore information on these self test machines please let me know as I am looking for one myself and have read various conflicting posts on this thread - so if there is any definitive advice that would be great.

wasleys

spikeyblonde wrote: »

If anyone has anymore information on these self test machines please let me know as I am looking for one myself and have read various conflicting posts on this thread - so if there is any definitive advice that would be great.

spikeyblonde,

If you're still watching this thread post back and I'll tell you my experience with CoaguChek XS.

Edj

I have been using the older S model for about 7 years now with no problems at all. I have just taken up the half price offer to replace it with the XS machine. So no longer will have to buy the control solutions (which were not available on prescription although the test strips were). From a patient perspective self monitoring is, I think, great the freedom it has given me has allowed me to travel when and where I like with no interuptions in my regime as I just telephone the results and get my new dosage from my anti coagulation clinic. They also have a once a year check of my usage and a direct comparison of my test to a venous sample. The XS looks to be slightly easier to use and is much smaller so easier to carry round.

Edj

Just thought I would mention if anyone is considering buying a second hand S type model. I think Roche are withdrawing support for this model next year so the test strips wont be available anymore. Be prudent to check this out in case its a false economy.