Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) learned that pre-owned or secondhand test strips were being sold to consumers. These were often advertised in local newspapers or online as “cheap test strips.” While it is legal for people to sell their unused test strips, the FDA does not recommend this practice and is warning consumers not to purchase pre-owned test strips. They may give you incorrect results, or they may not be safe to use for the following reasons:

• They may not have been stored safely.
• They may be expired, or the expiration date may have been changed.
• They may not have been approved for sale in the United States (the instructions are not in English).
• They may have small amounts of blood on them from the other person if they were opened.

Here’s what you can do: Talk to your healthcare provider if you are not sure where to buy test strips for your meter or if you cannot afford to buy the test strips. Some available programs will provide you with test strips and even a meter at no cost. Buy only unopened vials of test strips from a reputable retailer that have not been pre-owned.