1. B
lood glucose monitoring
is a valuable diabetes self-
management tool, which
enables people with diabetes
to check their blood glucose levels as
often as they need to, as recommended
by their healthcare professionals.
Large clinical studies, such as the
Diabetes Control and Complications
Trial1
and the UK Prospective Diabetes
Study2,3
have provided clear evidence
of the benefits of intensive therapy in
people with diabetes, and emphasised
SMBG as an important component,
particularly for those requiring insulin
therapy.
Pushing past the pain barrier
Pain, however, is the number one
barrier to patients regularly testing
their blood glucose levels—Burge
showed that lancing pain and finger
soreness are leading reasons for
self-reported patient noncompliance
with medical recommendations for
SMBG.4
This lack of compliance also
predicted hospitalisation of people
with diabetes.4
A 2008 review5
on practices and
trends in measuring blood glucose
concentrations found: ‘It is finger
pricking that makes SMBG an
annoying procedure; the relative
pain is greater than that of the insulin
injection. Beside costs, this is the
major reason why patients tend not to
measure their BG frequently enough.’
In addition, 30% of respondents
in a 2004 UK study by Batten
indicated that pain was a main factor
that stopped them testing blood
glucose. Thirty-five per cent said they
would test more often if it were less
painful—49% in the case of people
injecting insulin, which can amount to
several times a day.6
Pharmacist role in lancing
education
Correctlancingtechniquehelpstokeep
discomforttoaminimumandreducefinger
lesionsandinjury.7
TheAustralianDiabetes
EducatorsAssociation’s2010Position
StatementonUseofBloodGlucose
Meters8
states:‘Wheremetersaresoldin
pharmaciesandotherretailenvironments,
itisessentialforastaffmemberdeemed
competentintheuseofbloodglucose
metersandtheinterpretationofblood
glucoseresultstoprovideeducationtothe
personpurchasingthemeter.’
• Since the lancet penetrates the skin,
hygiene is very important.
• New, unused Accu-Chek lancets are
guaranteed to be sterile.
• Make sure your customers change to
a new lancet for every blood sample.
You can help your patients test more
comfortably with Accu-Chek Lancing
Devices by demonstrating these five
easy steps, as demonstrated in Figure
One: Tips for correct lancing.
Virtuallypain-freetestingwith
Accu-ChekLancingDevices
Roche Diabetes Care, with 30 years
of commitment to helping people
optimally self-manage their diabetes, has
1716
The Australian journal of Pharmacy vol.93 july 2012
coveradvertorial
The Australian journal of Pharmacy vol.93 july 2012
pioneered new technology to reduce the
pain of lancing and make SMBG easier.
AllAccu-Chekconsumerlancing
devicesfeatureClixmotiontechnologythat
helpspreventvibrationandreducestissue
damageforvirtuallypain-freemonitoring.
Pharmacist feedback
We’re a NDSS sub-agent and have
used the Accu-Chek Multiclix with our
type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. The
feedback has been good as people like
it: it’s not pain-free but it’s painless in
the sense of less fuss. Most people are
familiar with single-use lancets, which are
a little thicker, but we tell them that this is
thinner and finer, and much less painful
than insulin pens. It’s worth showing
older patients how to change each lancet
and each drum of lancets, as they don’t
always realise there’s six and once you’ve
removed a drum you can’t re-insert it
even if you haven’t used all the lancets. A
proper demonstration reinforced during
the initial learning period, as you would
with an asthma device, can take as long
as showing them how to use a meter.
Nick Hatzisavas
Oze Pharmacy, Richmond NSW
With some of the older patients it’s not
as straightforward as with a single-use
ACCU-CHEK cover advertorial
Lancing is a fundamental step in self-monitoring of blood
glucose (SMBG) for people with diabetes and pharmacists
can make a profound difference in their lives by assisting
customers on tips for correct lancing, choosing the right
lancing device and how often to change the lancet.
Fingers love
Accu-Chek lancets
ACCU-CHEK,ACCU-CHEK PERFORMA,ACCU-CHEK
PERFORMA NANO,ACCU-CHEK MOBILE,ACCU-
CHEK ACTIVE,ACCU-CHEK MULTICLIX,ACCU-CHEK
SOFTCLIX CIXMOTION are trademarks of
Roche.©
2012 Roche Diagnostics.
All other Trademarks are the property
of their respective owners
Roche Diagnostics Australia Pty Ltd,
31 Victoria Avenue, Castle Hill NSW 2154,
ABN 29 003 001 205
Accu-Chek®
lancing devices are
for single patient use only.
REFERENCES
1. Diabetes Control and Complications Trial
Research Group.The effect of intensive
treatment of diabetes on the development
and progression of long-term complications
in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. NEJM.
2002;329:977–86.
2. UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group.
Effect of intensive blood-glucose control with
metformin on complications in overweight
patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34).
Lancet. 1998;352:854–65.
3. UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group.
Intensive blood-glucose control with
sulphonylureas or insulin compared
with conventional treatment and risk of
complications in patients with type 2 diabetes
(UKPDS 33). Lancet.1998;353:836–53.
4. . Lack of compliance with home blood
glucose monitoring predicts hospitalization in
diabetes. Diabetes Care 2001;24(8):1502–3.
5. Heinemann L. Measuring Glucose
Concentrations: Daily Practice, Current and
Future Developments. J Diabetes Sci Technol
2008;2(4): 710–17.
6. Batten L. Report on research on attitudes
of ‘non-testers’. Prepared for Diabetes UK by
Crossbow Research,August 2004.
7. Kocher S,Tshiang Tshiananga JK, Koubek R.
Comparison of lancing devices for self-
monitoring of blood glucose regarding lancing
pain. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2009;3(5):1136–43.
8.ADEA. Position Statement. Use of Blood
Glucose Meters. March 2010.
*Data on file
ACCU-CHEKcoveradvertorial
FIGURE ONE: Tips for correct lancing
FIGURE two: Accu-Chek Clixmotion technology
Accu-Chek Multiclix
• Skin penetration depth can be set by a comfort dial with 11 depth settings—allowing users to find their
preferred skin penetration depth to minimise pain.
• Drum feature ensures single use—each twist of the Accu-Chek Multiclix will prime a fresh single-use
lancet from the drum of six, guaranteeing each to be optimally sharp and sterile.
• The numbers on the display show how many lancets are left.
• No lancet handling—the lancets are not exposed from the drum while installing or removing it.
• Drums are self-disabling, allowing for easy and safe disposal once empty.
• Suitable for alternative site testing (with Accu-Chek AST cap) if appropriate.
Softclix and some will come to me if
they want me to change drums. Multiclix
is a lot better because the
recommendation
is to use a new
lancet every time
but in practice
we know that’s not
the case—Mutliclix
means there’s less
pain in the first place
because the lancet
is sharp. When we run
diabetes weeks, there’s
quite a number of customers who don’t
realise you have to change lancets and
they end up with calluses. It’s easy to
demonstrate; customers
usually get it first go.
Using newer lancets
more frequently is
always going to be a
good thing and lead
to better control.
I’m type 1 and
I’ve got about
every monitor
but I generally always
choose the Accu-Chek monitor.
Steve Rabe, You Save, Mosman NSW
Experience
what’s
possible.
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uiry Line: 180
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Fingers love
Accu-Chek
®
lancets
Who would
ima
gine blood glucos
e monitoring
cou
ld be so gen
tle?
The
Acc
u-Chek
lancing range
uses exclusive Clixmotion
technology to deliver
a
precise
, guided
movem
ent – for virtually pain-free
testing
your fingers will
love
.
Com
es FRE
E inside every Acc
u-Chek
Perform
a
and
Acc
u-Chek
Perform
a Nano meter pack.
Experience
what’s
possible.
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Line: 180
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National Diabetes
Awareness Week 2012
Virtually pain
-free testing in every Accu-Chek
meter pack.*
Love your fingers with
Accu-Chek
®
lancing
Every Accu-Chek meter pack comes with a Clixmotion-guided lancing device
for virtually pain-free monitoring*.