Blood 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

Correct lancing technique helps to keep

discomfort to a minimum and reduce finger

lesions and injury.7 The Australian Diabetes

Educators Association’s 2010 Position

Statement on Use of Blood Glucose

Meters8 states: ‘Where meters are sold in

pharmacies and other retail environments,

it is essential for a staff member deemed

competent in the use of blood glucose

meters and the interpretation of blood

glucose results to provide education to the

person purchasing the meter.’

• 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.

VirtuAlly pAiN-free teStiNg with

ACCu-Chek lANCiNg DeViCeS

Roche Diabetes Care, with 30 years

of commitment to helping people

optimally self-manage their diabetes, has

1716The AusTrAliAn journAl of PhArmAcy vol.93 july 2012

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vert

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The AusTrAliAn journAl of PhArmAcy vol.93 july 2012

pioneered new technology to reduce the

pain of lancing and make SMBG easier.

All Accu-Chek consumer lancing

devices feature Clixmotion technology that

helps prevent vibration and reduces tissue

damage for virtually pain-free monitoring.

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

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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. Enquiry Line: 1800 251 816

Fingers love

Accu-Chek®

lancets

Who would imagine blood glucose monitoring

could be so gentle? The Accu-Chek lancing range

uses exclusive Clixmotion technology to deliver a

precise, guided movement – for virtually pain-free

testing your fingers will love.

Comes FREE inside every Accu-Chek Performa

and Accu-Chek Performa Nano meter pack.

Experience what’s possible. Enquiry Line: 1800 251 816

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*.