Diabetes is an illness that affects over 170 million people worldwide. Although many people suffer from type 1 diabetes, which is a result of genetic factors, more and more people in western countries are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is almost always the result of an unhealthy diet. Medical supplies are a fact of life for most diabetics. All diabetics need at least the following supplies on hand regularly in order to monitor their glucose levels: a glucose meter, test strips and lancets.

A glucose meter, as the name implies is used in order to measure the concentration of glucose in the blood. A lancet is a tiny needle which used to make a slight prick in the skin in order to draw blood. This blood is then transferred onto the plastic test strip in order to be measured by the glucose meter. The glucose meter will tell a person whether their glucose level is too high, too low, or just right.

A glucose meter is usually not very expensive, however it is highly recommended that a person replaces their glucose meter on a yearly basis in order to ensure proper working and also because constant improvements are being made to glucose meters, thus the person should take advantage of these. Test strips, although they are made of plastic and look very simple, can be quite expensive. The reason for their exorbitant cost is due to the heavy research that these strips are the result of. Research and development in the area of diabetes is very expensive and these costs have to finally be transferred to the end customer.

Thanks to the technological advances, many diabetic medical supplies are now conveniently sold over the internet. One well known distributor of medical supplies on the internet is allegromedical.com. These companies also sell other useful medical supplies such as therapeutic shoes and socks. Since there are so many online distributors of diabetic medical supplies, it is very easy for consumers to browse multiple websites in order to find the best bargain, all from the comfort of their own homes.

At the same time consumers should do proper research in order to determine what their sales policies are, e.g. is there a return policy in case of a faulty purchase? Consumers should also ensure that the website is using proper electronic security measures in order to protect their privacy and credit card information.