Why must the drum be left in the Accu-Chek Compact Plus for no more than 90 days?
All test strips (including those of our competitors) are moisture-sensitive. The drum contains a desiccant which protects the strips from moisture for 90 days (in all climatic zones). After that time the desiccant is used up and the strips are exposed to moisture. They become unusable after just a few days. An additional desiccant protects the strips in the unopened tube until the printed expiry date. When a drum is placed in the Accu-Chek Compact Plus, the display shows the drum icon and “control bottle” after 90 days. This means that the drum can no longer be used. If the drum continues to be used, Accu-Chek Compact Plus prompts the user to perform a control check. Legally, the strips must not be used. If they are, the readings obtained must be used for guidance only. The meter registers every opening of the cover and sets its internal timer to 0, i.e. the message “Drum-Icon + Control-Bottle-Icon” appears. To prevent incorrect results, the quality of each strip is also checked again
