Wegmans Unveils Store Brand Diabetic Home Testing System

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November 9, 2010

Wegmans Food Markets introduced the company’s first store brand blood glucose monitoring systems, a basic self-care tool for people with diabetes.

Wegmans’ TRUEresult system and TRUE2go – small enough to fit in a purse, pocket or gym bag -- can help those with diabetes and pre-diabetes track blood glucose levels more easily and at a lower cost than with other comparable systems on the market today, the company said in a statement.

Manufactured to Wegmans’ specifications by Nipro Diagnostics, TRUEresult meter is retailing for $19.99, the TRUE2go meter is $8.99 and test strips are $69.99 for a box of 100. The home testing system yields faster results than most other brands, and because the machine automatically calibrates itself to each test strip, users don’t have to enter a test strip code, eliminating a common source of error, the company said.

Users simply stick a testing strip into the machine, prick their finger with the lancet to collect a drop of blood, and touch the finger to the testing strip. The strip absorbs the blood, activates the machine and a large display readout appears in four seconds. The machine also has four testing reminder alarms, a 500-test memory to see trends over time, and alerts the user to test for ketones if blood glucose levels are high.

“These features help patients stay healthier by flagging any problems so they can be addressed in a timely way,” said Brian Pompo, pharmacist for Wegmans, which operated 77 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland.
The TRUE2go system “is what we call the gym bag solution to testing; it’s the smallest device I’ve seen on the market –– easy to carry when you’re on the go.”

TRUEresult and TRUE2go units are available at all Wegmans pharmacies, and also in the diabetes supply areas of the store health and beauty care departments.

Wegmans’ TRUEresult home testing system could save patients up to $400 annually, according to Dave Perlman, pharmacy category manager.

At Woodmore, Wegmans’ newest store in Maryland, a Diabetes Solution Center in the Health and Beauty Care department features the new meters, along with other products and supplies geared to the needs of people with diabetes. “Between now and early 2011, all of our stores will feature Diabetes Solution Centers,” Perlman noted.

Wegmans also offers diabetic customers other tools for staying healthy through good food choices. In the diabetes section at wegmans.com, there’s a guide to better food choices as you shop various departments in the store. Sections on meal planning explain exchanges and carbohydrate counting. There are also seasonal diabetes meal ideas, tips on party and celebration foods, and nutritional information, including carbohydrates, in the online product catalog.

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