Chicago based Abbott Labs has partnered with India’s 1mg.com make Abbott’s continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products available online, including its professional flash glucose monitoring system, FreeStyle ® Libre Pro. Patients in India can upload a healthcare practitioner’s prescription and purchase the product online on 1mg.
An on-site phlebotomy service will be provided at the patient’s home with a phlebotomist helping the patient administer the sensor and take readings of the data after 14 days, enabling them to start using the device. Abbott′s FreeStyle Libre Pro consists of a small, round sensor. The phlebotomist applies the water-resistant sensor on the back of the upper arm of the patient. The sensor is held in place with a self-adhesive pad and remains on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, requiring no patient interaction with the sensor.
Launched in India in 2015, the product does not involve pricking one’s finger for a drop of blood to check sugar levels, as is done with a traditional blood glucose monitor. “The system continuously measures glucose in interstitial fluid through a small (5mm long, 0.4mm wide) filament that is inserted just under the skin. It records glucose levels every 15 minutes, capturing up to 1,340 glucose readings over 14 days, giving the treating doctor comprehensive data for a complete glucose profile of their patient,” the company had said when it launched the product. The sensor takes readings for two weeks and gives an “ambulatory glucose profile” for 90 days, allowing a doctor to help the patient manage their blood sugar.
Abbott has been present in India for over 100 years.
