More than 1.7 million glucose test strips are being recalled by the medicines regulator because they may give inaccurate readings.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) asked people with diabetes not to use certain batches of a specific type of blood glucose test strip because a fault may mean they could overestimate the amount of insulin they need to take.
The test strips with the manufacturing fault are called the GlucoMen LX Sensor blood glucose test strips. They are used with the GlucoMen LX and GlucoMen LX PLUS blood glucose meters and are manufactured by Menarini in Italy.
Just over 1.7 million test strips in the affected lots were sold to pharmacies in the UK between October and November 2012.
The manufacturing fault has now been resolved and there is currently no evidence that any patients in the UK have been adversely affected.
John Wilkinson, the MHRA’s director of medical devices, said: ‘People who have GlucoMen LX Sensor blood glucose test strips from these specific lots at home should not use them. The manufacturing fault in these test strips could give a misleading reading that may result in people overestimating the amount of insulin they need to take.’
Menarini was not available for comment.
The MHRA’s advice
You can check if you have the affected test strips at home by looking for the lot numbers below on the tubs of test strips:
- Lot 3212219249, expiry date 31 August 2014
- Lot 3212214249, expiry date 31 August 2014
If you have the faulty test strips at home you can telephone the manufacturer Menarini on 0800 243667 who will provide free replacements.
