Sunday, March 31, 2013

Waiting on Insulet and the new OmniPod

Grace has been using the OmniPod pump for three years this April. Three years. Three years ago do you know what I heard - that smaller Pods and a new PDM were on their way. As in, a few months until they cleared the FDA and they would be in our hands.

Grace was even in the clinical trials for children with Type 1, on the new PDM. I held the new Pod in my hands, played with the PDM, was trained on it by a CDE OmniPod representative from Texas who was flown to Philadelphia to help conduct the FDA trials. That was TWO YEARS AGO.

And what pisses me off even more is that the NEW customers to Insulet - the ones who have 'cut the cord' are the first ones to get the new system and Pods. We have been more than loyal, outspoken advocates of Insulet and OmniPod for three years.

You know when I may get the new system for Grace? Good question. Insulet can not tell me. As in, when I call, they have no idea when I will be given the new system. No timeline. No date in the future. Nothing. Hmmmm. I'm not a business person, but something stinks about this.

My good friend Lorraine Sisto, who's son Caleb is also Type 1, and who blogs at This is Caleb, wrote a piece stating her feeling about it all.

Head on over there and read what she has to say.
She's been waiting SIX years for this.
Go ahead, ask her when she is getting her new system for Caleb.
Go ahead, ask.

http://thisiscaleb.com/2013/03/31/six-years-of-waiting-omnipod/

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love ya, mean it!

NeurosurgeryNP said...

You'd think they would take care of their existing customers first. SMH.

Mike Hoskins said...

Do you stil have supplies for the first-gen Pod? Have you re-ordered recently, as in this year? That is when existing customers are supposed to be weaved onto the new system - that's what OmniPod has said all along. If they're not keeping true to word on that, though, then it's a problem...

Kristin said...

Glad you and Lorraine are raising the issue (as high profile users)!
Mike - for people who get pods through vendors, we'll have to wait till the vendors use up their supply of old pods on us. Basically, Insulet's trying to burn through all old pods on the market to save $, and current users get to do that for them.

Hallie Addington said...

I hear you. Two years for us. We have not ordered new pods in months are due for more supplies. But I don't want three more months of the old stuff. We were told April. It's April. I'm not holding my breath... It's not that I'm unhappy with the current system. But seeing new customers order their systems and get them in DAYS really bothers me. I love Omnipod. I will stay loyal. But I'm losing patience.

greenpalm said...

Oof! Feeling guilty here as my DD was dx on March 10, 2013, and as far as I know our pods are on the way.

I do see why the vendors would want I use up the inventory they have in stock though.

They ought to offer a discount the way they do with last years model of cars.

Girl Glycosylated