How Satisfied Are Patients When Their Choice of Funded Glucose Meter Is Restricted to a Single Brand?

Background: Many governments and insurers are driving down the cost of medical devices, including glucose meters, by the central management of purchasing decisions. We report patients' responses to an "enforced" change in brand of glucose meter, one year after the introduction of a national sole supplier arrangement for funded glucose meters and strips.

Method: Specialist diabetes clinic attendees from two geographical locations completed a questionnaire one year after the final meter changeover date.

Investigating body patterning in aquarium-raised flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi).

Cuttlefish are known for their ability to quickly alter their total appearance, or body pattern, to camouflage or to communicate with predators, prey and conspecifics. The body patterns of some species have been extensively documented to gain a better understanding of their behaviors. However, the flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) is largely unstudied.