Monitoring your blood sugar regularly helps you manage diabetes and understand how food, alcohol, activity, and medications affect your levels.
Fingerprick Monitoring
A blood glucose meter (glucometer) can be used to check your blood sugar at home. Before using your meter, make sure to ask one of our pharmacists to review how to use it with you. For extra guidance on your specific device, please check the links below.
Most devices work very similarly. Before testing, ensure that you have test strips made for your meter, a lancing device to prick your finger, an alcohol swab or soap and water, and a logbook or app to record your results.
Wash and dry your hands.
Use warm water and soap to remove anything on your skin that could affect your reading.Prepare your meter and test strip.
Insert a new test strip into your glucometer. The end with the small chip or metal contacts goes into the device. Most meters will turn on automatically or ask you for a drop of blood.Use the lancing device.
Load a new lancet, then prick the side of your fingertip (not the pad, it hurts less this way!)Get a drop of blood.
Gently squeeze or massage your finger if needed. You only need a small drop. Touch the drop of blood to the strip (it will draw in the blood). Hold it there until the meter beeps or begins counting down.Read your result.
Your number will appear on the screen within a few seconds. Be sure to write it in your logbook or enter it into your diabetes app; note the time, any symptoms, and what you just ate or did.Dispose of the lancet and strip safely using a sharps container.
Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring
Continuous glucose monitors let you track your blood sugar 24/7 without finger pricks.
A small sensor worn on the skin checks your glucose levels and sends the results to your phone or reader. This helps you spot patterns, stay ahead of lows and highs, and make more confident decisions day-to-day.
If you’re using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) like FreeStyle Libre or Dexcom, you’re already taking a step toward better blood sugar management without the constant need for fingerpricks.
Once the sensor is applied, there is a short warm-up period, usually around an hour, before the system starts tracking your readings accurately.
After the warm-up, how you get your readings will depend on which system you’re using. With the FreeStyle Libre or FreeStyle Libre 2 devices, you’ll need to scan the sensor using your phone or handheld reader any time you want to see your current blood sugar trend. It doesn’t send data continuously, but you can scan as often as you’d like.
In contrast, Dexcom sends readings automatically every few minutes to your phone, smartwatch, or receiver using Bluetooth (no scanning required). This means you’ll always be able to see how your blood sugar is changing, even while you sleep or go about your day.
Both systems (FreeStyle Libre and Dexcom) let you set alarms to keep your blood sugar in a safe range. You can receive alerts if your levels go too high, too low, or start changing quickly. These alarms give you peace of mind, especially overnight, and help you catch problems early, before they become dangerous.
You can also choose who gets notified: many people choose to share their data with a family member, caregiver, or healthcare provider. For example, a parent might get alerts if their child’s blood sugar goes too low, or a doctor can review trends remotely to adjust medications.
Overall, CGMs make managing diabetes easier, but it’s important to know how they work and when to fall back on fingerpricking. Our pharmacists and healthcare team can help you understand your readings, adjust your alarm settings, and make sure you’re getting the most out of your device.
For more information, explore the links below or visit the official websites for each device.
Choose your glucometer from the list below to get more in-depth details:
When To Fingerprick
While continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are impressively accurate, it’s important to know that there can still be a small difference compared to a fingerstick reading. On average, the difference between the CGM reading a a traditional blood sugar check is around 8-10%. In most cases, that’s close enough for daily decisions like what to eat or how to dose insulin, but there are times when a backup fingerprick is still needed.
If your symptoms don’t match what the CGM is showing (example: you start to feel shaky or dizzy even though your reading appears fine), it’s a good idea to double-check with a fingerprick. You should also do a traditional blood sugar test if the sensor gives an error, if it’s newly applied and still settling, or if your healthcare provider has recommended this method.
