Is It Legal To Sell Diabetic Test Strips?
Have you ever wondered if it’s legal to sell your diabetic test strips, lancets, or continuous glucose monitors? It’s a common question for many diabetics.
Yes, it is legal to sell diabetic test strips, lancets, and CGMs. You can sell them because they can be bought OTC (over-the-counter) at any pharmacy or store. The only time it is illegal to sell them is when they are from Medicare, Medicaid, are opened, or expired.
Anything that can be bought over-the-counter can be resold without any legal consequence.
However, there are a few instances when it is illegal. Keep scrolling to learn more.
When is it illegal to sell diabetic supplies?
There are a few instances when it is illegal to sell your test strips, lancets, and CGM products.
If the products were acquired through Medicare or Medicaid, they cannot be resold. This is because it is illegal to profit from government programs.
The test strip, lancet, and CGM boxes will typically have a red line or label on the box indicating that it was purchased through one of these programs.
Another instance where it is illegal to sell diabetic supplies is when they are not acquired legally. If they are stolen, you cannot legally resell them. For obvious reasons, of course.
This rule applies to anything.
Lastly, as a general rule of thumb, you cannot, and should not sell diabetic items that are opened, expired, tampered with, damaged, or otherwise not in mint condition.
Doing so is unethical and can potentially harm others (inaccurate readings, chance of infection due to unclean items, improper function, etc.).
Also, never sell items that you need!
To sum it up; your diabetic items cannot be resold if they are:
Purchased through Medicare or Medicaid
Stolen
Damaged, expired, or opened
Why would somebody have unused diabetic supplies?
People with diabetes have leftover supplies for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons include:
Unused free samples
Sometimes pharmacies and companies offer free samples of diabetic test strips.
Prescription changes
If your prescription changes, you may or may not need to test as often. This could be due to lifestyle changes (healthier diet, more exercise, etc.).
Switched meter brands
Not all test strips are compatible with all meter brands.
Changed doctors/insurance companies
Different doctors may prescribe different test strips, lancets, or CGMs.
Test themselves less frequently
Learning about oneself may allow for less frequent testing. If you typically know your blood sugar levels, frequent testing may not be necessary.
Have a family member with diabetes who passed away
If you know somebody who had diabetes and has passed away, you could sell their unused supplies.
A pharmacy closeout
Sometimes, pharmacies need to get rid of stock. Companies like ours can then purchase those diabetic supplies and recirculate them.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is common during pregnancy and can cause irregular blood sugar levels. Typically, blood sugar levels go back to normal after delivery, and the need for diabetic test strips is no longer needed.
Benefits of selling your diabetic supplies
You get paid
Diabetic test strips, lancets, and CGMs can be incredibly expensive, by selling them, you get some of your money back!
At Diabetic Exchange USA for instance, you can receive up to $185 per box! You can see how much we pay by visiting our price list.
You help others
Adding on to point number one, retail diabetic products are very expensive, for example, test strips are often a dollar a strip and come in boxes of 100!
By selling them, not only do you get paid, but you also make supplies available to diabetics who may otherwise not have been able to afford them! This is because when you sell your diabetic supplies, they get resold to others at heavily discounted rates compared to the retail prices.
Finally, what good are unused diabetic supplies in the trash? Somebody in need could be using them and you could be getting paid!
You help the environment
Selling diabetic products can help the environment because you can provide them to people in need rather than throwing them in the trash.
Think about it, if you throw out your supplies rather than give them to someone else, they then buy even more supplies while yours just sit in the trash. Cut the trash out of the picture and just give them to others!
You eliminate clutter
Would you let cash sit in your medicine cabinet for months, and then eventually throw it out once you finally get tired of looking at it?
Of course not!
So why would you do the same for your test strips, lancets, and continuous glucose monitors?
Some diabetic products come in small boxes, and some diabetic products come in big boxes. Either way, if you aren’t using them, why leave them lying around?
You help lower prices for all diabetics
When you sell to us, we resell your supplies at below retail values.
Now that you know that it is legal to sell your diabetic supplies, you might ask…
Who shouldn’t you sell your diabetic supplies to?
There are many sites, stores, and random people on Craigslist who would love to buy diabetic supplies either in person or online.
While they may offer an avenue for you to sell your diabetic supplies, there are a few reasons why they might not be the best:
They could scam you
If you sell to a random website online, who’s to say they’ll even pay you? Furthermore, do you really want to meet someone you found on Craigslist or a bandit sign? If you choose to sell to a company you found online, be sure to check their reviews and watch out for fake reviews. Some tips for spotting fake reviews can be found in this article.
They aren’t paying top dollar
Some companies are obsessed with profit rather than providing value. How do you know if you are getting the highest payouts for your diabetic supplies? Be sure to compare prices between companies.
They don’t buy all major brands and variants
Some websites or local buyers don’t buy all brands or variants of test strips, lancets, and CGMs. Additionally, it is helpful to sell to companies that purchase products that expire at various dates such as 10+ months, 7-9 months, 5+ months, etc.
They don’t offer enough ways for you to sell your products to them
Some websites only offer shipping labels via email… but what if you don’t have a printer? Some local buyers only buy in person… but what if you don’t feel safe? The two major shipping options are typically shipping kits (which include a box, tape, and shipping label) and shipping labels sent via email.
They have little to no customer service
Ever email a company and never hear back from them? Yeah, so have we. A good measure to take if you are selling to a company you have never sold to before is to contact them before selling. This way, you can see if and how quickly they reply.
Who should you sell your diabetic supplies to?
I bet you’re expecting us to say that we’re the best place to sell your diabetic supplies because we never scam people, offer the highest payouts in the industry, buy all major brands, offer 2 different ways to sell online, and have excellent customer service.
If you guessed that then you would be 100% right! We take pride in the service we provide our customers and have paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars this year alone.
At Diabetic Exchange USA, we take pride in what we do. We work hard to ensure you always have an outstanding experience when you sell to us. We are the leading buyer of diabetic supplies.
Want us to prove our commitment to you?
Contact us and see how fast we reply.
Then, check out our price list and compare it to our competitor’s price lists. You will see who pays more.
Finally, visit our “Sell Supplies” page to receive your pre-paid shipping label or shipping kit and start selling your items!