Freestyle Libre Glucose Monitoring System
- Alyson Blum
- Washington State University College of Pharmacy, Spokane, WA
- Corresponding author: Alyson Blum, alyson.blum{at}wsu.edu
Introduction
In September 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Freestyle Libre Pro Glucose Monitoring System, a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system for blinded professional use in clinics. In September 2017, the FDA approved a Freestyle Libre for personal use by patients (1). The system’s disposable sensor is applied to the back of a patient’s arm and can be worn for 10 days with the personal device and up to 14 days with the Pro version. Providers and patients use a handheld device to download the blood glucose information stored in the sensor. The retrospective information then can be used by providers to make therapy changes to improve patients’ glycemic control (2). Alternatively, patients can use the data in daily life to get ondemand glucose readings without having to perform a fingerstick to obtain blood for use with a glucose meter.
Indications
The Freestyle Libre Pro is indicated for professional use only. It is intended to be used by health care professionals to detect blood glucose trends and patterns in patients ≥18 years of age with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (2). The Freestyle Libre can be used by patients ≥18 years of age with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Limitations of Use
Freestyle Libre Pro and Freestyle Libre are not approved in children <18 years …