A friend forwarded an e-mail to me in which a person from Canada reports having purchased a used insulin pump from someone who wasn’t using it. This raises interesting questions, such as

Is it legal to give or sell your pump to someone, when pumps require an prescription?
Will a doctor prescribe pump supplies without having prescribed a pump?
How do people who receive second-hand pumps ensure that the pump is working properly?
How do they get trained?

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

It is not possible to know that the used pump is in good working condition. There could be a danger to the user. I would recommend the person wishing to sell a pump contact the sales representative for the pump in their area and ask how to send it in for refurbishing and donating it, perhaps being able to take a tax deduction.

MG

[Editor’s comment: I would think that to most endocrinologists, the origin of the pump is probably irrelevant. It would be sort of like having a patient move into your town, already on a pump, and poorly trained — I’d write appropriate prescriptions for supplies, and arrange additional training as needed.

Of course, I’d also have my diabetes nurse educator, or the pump company’s rep, go over the pump thoroughly to be sure it’s working reliably. The issue of whether the pump would have a warranty would have to be investigated, and if there’s none, consideration of trading for an in-warranty pump would seem reasonable.

WWQ]