4 Ways You Can Protect The Diabetic You Love

The diabetic in your life has a lot to keep track of.  Constant monitoring of blood sugar levels, making sure they get the medication they need when they need it, eating well, getting enough rest, and enjoying life.

Help out the diabetic in your life by protecting them from four ways criminals can rip them off, while they’re trying their best just to get by.

Help out the diabetic in your life by protecting them from four ways criminals can rip them off, while they’re trying their best just to get by.

The diabetic in your life has a lot to keep track of.  Constant monitoring of blood sugar levels, making sure they get the medication they need when they need it, eating well, getting enough rest, and enjoying life.

1)      Be alert to old, resold, or counterfeit test strips.  

All are likely to give incorrect readings, and therefore treat diabetes incorrectly.Watch out for the black market in diabetes test strips. People have been caught re-selling old test strips on craigslist, and online.  Be careful, if test strips are expired they will not work accurately. Additionally, counterfeit test strips have been identified by investigators that will also not work well.  Be careful, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably won’t provide the careful monitoring they need to keep diabetes in check.

2)      Be alert to counterfeit diabetes medication. 

Likewise, if you need to purchase diabetes medication, be careful and do it from a U.S. regulated pharmacy, either your corner pharmacy that has a licensed pharmacist, or online from a VIPPS pharmacy.  Counterfeit diabetes medications have been found in Africa, the Philippines, New Zealand  the Middle East and China, while counterfeit insulin needles were found in the UK.  Again, if the price seems to good to be true, it probably won’t be effective medication.

3)      Be alert to fake medicine assistance programs.

The Federal Trade Commission warns, “Emails, ads, and websites for companies that guarantee free or low-cost prescription drugs for a hefty fee upfront are scams. You are paying for information and applications that are available for free.”

If your loved one is having difficulty affording their diabetes medications, have them look into Needy Meds and the Medicine Assistance Tool.  These legitimate organizations can help you find more affordable medications.

4)      Be alert to fake medicine for other conditions.

When your loved one buys other medication, be sure that those medications are also authentic.  Fake medications and those that contain unapproved ingredients have been found to contain chemicals that cause side effects dangerous in diabetics.  It’s not just the diabetes drugs that get counterfeited, and they can suffer serious affects if they ingest counterfeit medications for other conditions as well.