WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES AUGUST 3, 2017 15
HEALTH
Survey: Americans feel they could better
manage diabetes if costs were lower
For the over 29 million Americans
living with diabetes, striking a
balance between managing diabetes
and controlling the cost of treatment
can be challenging.i According
to a Wakefi eld Research survey of 500
adults with diabetes, 62 percent of respondents
said they felt they could do
a better job managing their diabetes if
supplies were more aff ordable, and 58
percent admitted to cutting corners in
order to save money.
If you or a loved one are struggling
with the expenses of diabetes, here are
some useful tips to control the cost of
supplies and treatment:
AFFORDABLE AND SIMPLE
TESTING
Testing your blood glucose regularly
is very important for people with
diabetes as it assists with the management
of their condition and helps to
prevent serious complications.ii
Check out the Accu-Chek Guide
System, which includes a new blood
glucose meter to help simplify the
most frequent tasks needed to manage
diabetes. Updated features include
test strips in a new spill-resistant
SmartPack vial to help ensure you
won't spill any strips when you take
one for testing, a larger application
area on the strip so even a small drop
of blood anywhere along the end will
yield results, and the meter's strip port
light to allow you to easily test at night
as well as during the day.
An addition to the Accu-Chek Guide
System is the SimplePay program
which provides consistent low prices
on test strips.iii Simply download
the free SimplePay Savings card on
the Accu-Chek website and hand the
card to your pharmacist, along with
your Accu-Chek guide meter and strip
prescription to start saving. Visit accu
chek.com/guide to learn more and
to download the savings card.
MANAGE MEDICATIONS
FOR SAVINGS
Medications can be expensive, but
several strategies can help you cut
back on costs.
First, always ask your doctor if a
generic version is available for any diabetes
medication he or she prescribes
for you. Generic medications typically
cost much less than name brands, and
the FDA requires generics to be the
same as their brand-name equivalents
in dosage form, safety, strength, route
of administration, quality, performance
characteristics and intended
use.iv
If your doctor advises you to stick
with a brand-name diabetes medicine,
try contacting the manufacturer to
see if they off er discount programs
for patients. Many do.
Another tip is to purchase your
diabetes medications in bulk to save
money. Some online prescription
supply companies off er savings for
purchasing medicines in bulk. Just be
sure you're purchasing from a reputable
supplier.
USE ONLINE RESOURCES
AND COMMUNITIES
When it comes to managing a disease
like diabetes, knowledge really
is power. A wealth of information is
available for people living with diabetes
from sources such as:
• The American Diabetes Association
at www.diabetes.org.
• The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention's National Diabetes
Education Program (www.cdc.gov/
diabetes).
Courtesy BPT
• The Children's Diabetes Foundation
(www.childrensdiabetesfoundation.
org).
• The National Institutes of Health's
National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(www.niddk.nih.gov/
health-information/diabetes).
• Your local health department.
Support organizations can also
help you manage your disease. You'll
not only receive guidance from others
who share similar experiences
and concerns, but community members
may be able to share ideas, tips
and practical advice.
To learn more about diabetes management
and controlling the cost of
testing supplies, visit accu-chek.com/
guide.
SURVEY
METHODOLOGY
The Roche Diabetes Care Survey
was conducted by Wakefield Research
(www.wakefieldresearch.
com) among 500 U.S. adults with diabetes,
between April 11th and April
19th, 2017, using an email invitation
and an online survey.
