iPump, Inc.

Archive for the ‘iPump Announcements’ Category

WE ARE UPDATING OUR WEBSITE TODAY AUGUST 11, 2009.

As we upgrade the site you may temporarily see both old and new pages for a few hours and encounter a “page not found” was we upload the new site.  If you have old pages saved in your cache old pages will appear.  You can try refreshing your browser to see if the new page is live.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the (long overdue) overhaul of our website and hope you will enjoy our more up-to-date site with MUCH easier navigation features!

Alyssa, diagnosed at age 3, was iPump's first client. See how she is doing today (click image for video) and help her raise money for her next "cure" walk

Little Alyssa, a child with a sunny smile and fiery spirit, was only three years old when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  She was iPump’s first client, so tiny, so newly diagnosed.  Her mother, Cindi a busy mom of three, had no time to feel sorry for herself.  She has spent the past (almost) three years since Alyssa’s diagnosing rallying to raise critical funds for a cure for diabetes.

Here is a video Cindi just sent to us to show us how Alyssa is doing – and what their family is currently doing to raise funds for a cure.  Please have a hankie nearby when you view the video.  It is one of “those” heartwarming, heartbreaking” stories of a beautiful little girl full of life.

Thank you, Cindi (and family), for taking the time to share this video with us!

Video: All 4 Alyssa

We are not able to take donated insulin or medications.

Just a polite reminder to our kind and well-intended donors.  We are not licensed to redistribute insulin or prescription medications.  Please do not send us these items because we cannot give them away.

iPump is not able to take donations of insulin; however, if you have insulin or pre-filled pens to donate, you can make your donation to Insulin for Life.

Insulin For Life collects excess unused insulin vials that can still be used and distributes them throughout developing countries in coordination with local centers and International Diabetes Federation’s “Life For a Child” program.  Click here to see a list of their collection centers where you can mail your insulin.

You can also try calling free clinics in your local area or your local chapter representative for the JDRF and browse our blog under “Assistance Organizations” to see a list of clinic names we collected that take diabetes supplies and insulin.

Legal and Ethical Concerns Over Medtronic’s Business Practices

Medtronic has a court-documented track record of failing to properly notify its customers in a timely fashion of known product defects. Product failure has resulted in deaths, hospitalizations, and both individual and class action lawsuits against the company. Their inexcusable behavior has even prompted new proposed legislation because legal rights for patients who died or were injured by Medtronic products were substantially limited when it came to suing for tort damages.

. ..”Following the 2008 Supreme Court decision Riegel v. Medtronic, (.pdf) patients and families have been prevented from having the right to file a viable Medtronics lawsuit to help cover medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering based on FDA preemption.

For more information about Medtronic’s legal battles, see the Medtronic Recall Center.

Why We Are Not Accepting Medtronic Insulin Pump Supplies At This Time

Medtronic has most recently recalled another three million infusion sets from their two top-selling product lines. We have received well-intended donations of supplies that have been recalled and may be defective. In order to ensure the safety of our clients we are no longer accepting Medtronic insulin pump supplies. Unfortunately, we do not have the funds to hire staff – iPump is run by one full-time volunteer and we simply do not have the resources to manually track all Medtronic products at this time. Additionally, Medtronic has not returned our calls or letters about exchanging donated items that were recalled.

Why We Are No Longer Accepting Medtronic Insulin Pumps

Medtronic frequently refers their call-in customers to iPump as a place to donate their used insulin pumps. Instead of allowing Medtronic customers to turn them in for a $500 credit towards a new pump, several people have told us that Medtronic suggests they can donate old pumps to iPump and get a tax deduction for several thousand dollars instead of just a $500 credit as their insurance will pay for the pump anyhow.

This may sound like a nice gesture, but Medtronic is diverting pumps that they know are so old they will not upgrade them so really have no value at all. In simplest terms, Medtronic appears to be using iPump as a medical device dumpster. We have contacted Medtronic multiple time via phone, emails and letters – including to Medtronic’s president and board of directors and have not had the courtesy of a reply.

We hope to have a better, more reciprocal business relationship with Medtronic someday, but until such time, we are no longer accepting any Medtronic MiniMed insulin pumps or insulin pump supplies.

We do not wish to alienate or offend Medtronic customers – and we must remind our blog readers that any and all medical device manufacturer is open to lawsuits.  But this recent news only serves to reaffirm our commitment to serving the best interest of our clients and our reason for focusing on working with companies whose business ethics value the safety of consumers.

Medtronic Paid Doctor to Testify Before Lawmakers

A medical professor at the University of Minnesota received $6,000 from medical device maker Medtronic in exchange for testimony that urged lawmakers to continue funding medical research involving a bone growth product called Infuse, according to the New York Times. The newspaper reports that Dr. David W. Polly Jr. failed to disclose that he was working as a consultant for Medtronic when he testified before a Senate panel in 2006. Documents released by Senator Charles E. Grassley show that Polly received $1.14 million in fees and expenses from Medtronic from 2003 to 2007.  Barry Meier, The New York Times 07/29/2009