Why so many free blood glucose meter give-aways?

I understand why the manufacturers give away the meters, because they make their money off the test strips. But why is everybody else promoting the meters and giving them away, from doctors to nurses, to diabetes educators? Do the health care providers get paid by manufacturers to promote the meters?

In a round about way, they get paid. They provide the meters to the patients, and the patients then buy the strips, just like you said. Pharmaceutical companies used to send docs on expensive tropical vacations for promoting and prescribing their products to the patients. That’s no longer legal, but the docs might get a nice big Xmas present from the drug reps, or a steak dinner for the office staff…

Blood Glucose Meter from Liberty’s Diabetes Supplies Service

Freestyle LITE Blood Glucose Test Strips NEW Butterfly Design 1 box of 50 $21.95 Expiration Dates: 2013+ Mint Conditon Boxes: 50ct boxes:…

Freestyle Lite Mail Order Test Strips 50-Count Box $22.50 The Freestyle Lite Test Strips by Abbott are made to be used with the Freestyle Lite Blood Glucose Monitoring System. Small sample size, alternate site testing, and no coding required!…

FreeStyle Lite Test Strips 100 ct. 1 ea or 2 boxes of 50′s total 100 test $53.00 The Freestyle Lite Test Strips by Abott are made to be used with the Freestyle Lite Blood Glucose Monitoring System and FreeStyle Freedom Lite Glucose Meter. Small sample size, alternate site testing, and no coding required! Box of 50 Features: No Coding Required! This makes it easier and more convient to begin testing Alternate Site Testing You can test using your fingers, forearm, upper arm,…

Blood Glucose Monitoring System (Free 20 blood glucose test strps.) $39.99 No Coding Required. Small sample saze. (only 0.3 microliters). Ultra-thin design Alternate site testing. 360 test memory with time and date stamp. Downloadable test results* *Download equipment available Questions or Comments? Please call 800-631-0076…

FreeStyle Data Cable – 9 Pin $79.99 FreeStyle data cable is designed for all FreeStyle meters: Serial Cable (not USB) * FreeStyle Meter * FreeStyle Flash Meter * FreeStyle Freedom * FreeStyle Lite Meter Data cable is used to download your testing results from your glucose meter to your PC. This data cable uses stereo jack to connect to FreeStyle meter (data port on the FreeStyle meter is located above the meter screen) and 9 Pin Con…