Roche launch new diabetes support pack

Roche Diagnostics have announced plans to introduce a new diabetes support pack that it hopes will give people with diabetes ìall the information they need to support self monitoring of blood glucoseî.

The support pack, which the company claim to be the `first of its kind', has been developed in collaboration with the UK Association of Diabetes Specialist Nurses. It is designed to be accessible and easy to use in order to `demystify' the whole area of blood glucose monitoring, and to clear up any confusion caused by past debate over its effectiveness.

The pack is aimed at people who are having difficulty accessing blood glucose testing strips and at diabetes sufferers generally to help them ìmanage their conditionî. It contains diabetes-related literature and a DVD that highlights how self-monitoring of blood glucose can help in the management of diabetes. Information related to organisations that work with diabetes sufferers is also included, particularly of those bodies that work specifically in the area of getting access to Roche's blood glucose test strips.

According to Roche, a number of recent studies have reinforced the importance of self-monitoring of blood glucose as a key element of diabetes management. Self-monitoring, it says, can help people to use diet, exercise and medication to maintain glycaemic control. However, Roche claim that some PCTs are restricting access to their blood glucose test strips, as a `cost saving exercise' - no specific evidence or examples of this have, as of yet, been forthcoming.

A spokesperson for Roche told Pharmaceutical Marketing: ìI think information is always useful for someone who has diabetes. This is a way of collating as much information as possible. Obviously, not everyone will be aware of all the resources and all the support out there, so it's just a way of bringing it all together.î

She continued: ìThere has been debate about blood glucose monitoring in the past but this brings together information to people who need to know about the benefits and importance of blood glucose monitoring in one pack.î

On the issue of PCT `cost saving', she stated that it is important that PCTs give people with diabetes ìthe opportunity to manage their conditions in a proper way.î

To receive your own copy/copies of the information pack, contact the Accu-Chek customer care line on 0800 701 000 (UK).