64 Days with the Medtronic 640G: Ep 6 Ordering supplies online

In some ways one of the nicest additions to my general 'managing diabetes malarky' over the past 12 months or so has not really been anything to do with managing blood glucose levels or complicated diabetes technology at all. It has been a very simple addition to my routine in that Medtronic, as of the middle of last year, became the first and only UK insulin pump company to set up an online 'e-shop' for re-ordering pump supplies. This means I can place an order for new infusion sets, reservoirs and other gubbins 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Best of all the process is nicely streamlined, so it only takes me a handful of 'clicks' to place an order, which is then usually delivered in approximately 3-5 working days. I never had a real problem with phoning the orderline and speaking to the (always very helpful and lovely) staff at the other end... But the e-shop is just completely effortless and means I can place an order whenever I want to.

I'm not the most organised of people, and can easily get distracted when intending to re-order my supplies, then forget all about it. n fact I try to re-order deliberately early jyst to make sure I don't get caught out. So it's a great help to me that I can go online and place an order whenever I think about it, rather than having to wait until a customer-care phoneline is open and try again.

There are other benefits for registering with Medtronic's e-shop too. Registered users get access to an online e-support newsletters 'MiniMed Care Connect', with hints and tips covering things like sick day rules, sport/exercise, back-to-school suggestions and generally getting the most of your insulin pump. There are also promotions and cost-savings available to registered users including a soon-to-launch 'loyalty scheme' which offers reductions in the cost of Enlite sensors for those who are self-funding. More on that as details emerge...

In the meantime, here's a quick video of the process:


Subscribe to my YouTube channel