Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices & Supplies From Felix

This really depends on where you’re getting your blood glucose monitor from in Canada. Some brands may include blood glucose test strips or lancets in Canada alongside the monitor, but others will not.

We’re happy to say that when you choose to get your blood glucose monitor from Felix, you’ll receive 100 blood glucose test strips and lancets in Canada alongside your affordable blood glucose monitor.

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Insurance coverage will vary for each person, depending on who their insurance provider is, as well as the specifics of their individual benefits plan.

This will range from province to province, as well. While you may be able to explore blood glucose test strip and lancet eligibility in Ontario’s Drug Program, BC’s Pharmacare Program does not provide any coverage for lancets specifically.

Generally, many benefits packages will include coverage for 200 blood glucose test strips and lancets in Canada, per year.

Your best bet would be to reach out to your insurance representative directly, prior to making your request with Felix. This way, you can provide any applicable insurance information to your assigned practitioner during your assessment.

Plus, if you do have private insurance coverage for your blood glucose test strips, monitor, and lancets in Canada, Felix can bill your insurer directly to save you both the time and the trouble.

Yes, you can!

Felix’s pharmacy partners in Canada offer lancet and blood glucose test strip refills for blood glucose monitors.

We also provide new glucose monitor prescriptions, which can be used to obtain an entirely new monitor if yours has stopped functioning effectively, or if you’ve never purchased an affordable blood glucose monitor before.

Best of all, our pharmacy partners can deliver your blood glucose monitor, lancets, etc. in Canada, at no extra charge! It’s just another one of the ways we’re helping Canadians take back control of their health and quality of life.

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Absolutely, yes, you can. Blood glucose monitors for diabetes are just as effective at checking the blood sugar levels of someone without diabetes, as it is checking that of someone who is prediabetic or diabetic.

In some cases, especially if you’re at high risk of developing prediabetes or diabetes due to lifestyle or genetic factors, your practitioner may suggest beginning to preemptively use a glucose meter to watch for diabetes signs as you age.

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No, technically you don’t need a prescription in order to access a monitor, lancets, or blood glucose test strips in Canada.

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However, if you have private insurance coverage in Canada, or you’re eligible for provincial health plan coverage, you will need a glucose monitor prescription to have these items covered by your benefits.

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Yes, you should always replace your lancets after using the blood glucose monitor to check your sugar levels.

Not replacing the lancet between uses can lead to contamination of the puncture area, due to bacteria growth. In turn, this can cause things like skin or tissue infections when used to draw blood.

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Not all blood glucose monitors in Canada were created equally, but Felix and our pharmacy partners have worked hard to find a blood glucose monitor and test strips in Canada that are as accurate as possible.

The general guidelines used for blood glucose monitors is that they are required to be within 15% accuracy as the same test performed in a lab.

This means they aren’t as accurate as having blood work done by a lab, but considering the convenience and speed an at-home blood sugar monitor or test kit in Canada provides you, it can still offer valuable insight and benefits on your daily diabetes management journey.

There will be cleaning instructions provided with your glucose monitor prescription, which you can use to ensure you maintain the safety and effectiveness of your monitor.

Part of this process involves ensuring that you always replace the lancets and blood glucose test strips between each use. This will ensure your results aren’t impacted, and the lancets for diabetes checks are always fresh and sanitary.

Also, using germicidal wipes with 0.55% bleach are recommended for disinfecting your blood glucose monitor between uses.

The blood glucose test strips you’ll get in Canada should be kept in their sealed bottle at all times, until you’re ready to remove one for use.

The bottle should be closed immediately after removing the test strip, in order to preserve the efficacy of the remaining strips inside.

The lancet can be ejected directly from the monitor using the appropriate feature button. Don’t try to remove the lancet with your fingers.

The lancet should be thrown away in a sharps container after use and stored in their packaging until right before use to avoid potential contamination.

Both should be stored away from direct sunlight, in a clean, dry environment, and kept at room temperature.

Using your at-home blood glucose monitor for diabetes management is really easy, as long as you follow the instructions provided on your glucose monitor prescription packaging.

First, you use the lancet to draw blood, then put the blood on a fresh blood glucose test strip. The blood glucose monitor will tell you whether your blood levels are high, low, or within the normal range.

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Once. Both the blood glucose test strips and lancets used in Canada must be disposed of after each use.

Most monitors won’t allow you to reuse your test strips, which could end up impacting your results, as it will detect that the strip has already been used.

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The main purpose of testing your blood sugar is to understand how certain foods, or other lifestyle factors, affect your blood sugars. You can take this quiz from Diabetes Canada to see how often it’s recommended for you to check your blood sugar levels.

This will enable you to quickly check to ensure that your blood sugar levels are within the normal/safe range, as well as make educated decisions about how to proceed if your blood sugar is higher or lower than it should be.

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The blood sugar (glucose) test strips used in Canada with these monitors are made of a special type of paper that’s designed to absorb the blood from your puncture site and provide it cleanly to the monitor for evaluation without contamination.

They work by providing a sterile, easily measured environment for the monitor to check your blood sugar levels as accurately as possible. This is why it’s important never to reuse the same test strip twice, as it can drastically impact your results.

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Blood glucose monitors measure the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood at the time of testing.

This can tell you whether your blood sugar is too high, too low, or right where it should be.

There are a few different types of blood sugar monitors available in Canada, but after exploring a number of options, Felix has decided to provide Contour Next ONE blood glucose monitors.

Not only is this an affordable blood glucose monitor, compared to some other models, but you can also access the appropriate test strips online through our pharmacy partners.

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There is no specific best time of day to test your blood sugar, because it can vary by patient, and some patients are recommended to test at varying times throughout the day.

Additionally, checking your blood sugar levels around 2 hours after completing a large meal can provide you with useful insights about the way your individual body processes food. It can also help you monitor how effectively any diabetes treatments you’re using are functioning.

If you check your blood sugar levels first thing in the morning before you’ve eaten or drank anything, this will tell you what your fasted blood sugar levels are, which can also be useful for those controlling prediabetes or diabetes.

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Absolutely. Our online assessments have been designed to ask all the necessary questions required for diagnosis. We’ve worked with specialists to create an assessment process that can provide sufficient information for the healthcare practitioner to determine whether or not you are eligible for a prescription and craft an appropriate treatment plan.

No. Felix provides a faster, hassle-free way for you to get a treatment plan for certain conditions, but our service does not replace your primary care provider. For matters that extend beyond obtaining a lifestyle treatment safely and easily, we encourage you to consult your primary health practitioner in person — whether for checkups, personal health concerns, or to inform them about your current treatments or treatment plans.

Call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room immediately. Felix is not intended for medical emergencies. Once the emergency has been addressed or resolved, contact your prescribing practitioner to inform them of your experience as this may impact your current treatment plan.

Felix is Canada’s first truly integrated healthcare platform. We provide on-demand treatment for everyday health needs like weight loss, mental health, sexual health, and more. Founded in 2019, our digital-first approach to healthcare includes everything from diagnosis to prescription — all accessible from the comfort of home.

Anyone who is 18 years or older (16 or older for acne and birth control prescriptions), and is located in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan or Ontario. We cannot ship treatments outside of these provinces at this time.

No. A visit with a licensed healthcare practitioner is required for all treatments currently provided through Felix’s service. 

Please email our Customer Support team at [email protected] and they will be able to assist you with the transfer.

No. We use an asynchronous telemedicine model so you can complete your online visit in your own time and we save your progress so you can come back later to finish it.

If you are completing a visit in the mental health or weight loss categories, your healthcare practitioner may require a phone or video call to discuss your medical profile further during the assessment process.

Most assessments do not require a phone or video conversation. Once a prescriber has reviewed the info in your assessment they will respond to you via secure instant messages that you can access within your Felix account.  

If you are completing a visit in the mental health or weight loss categories, your healthcare practitioner may require a phone or video call to discuss your medical profile further during the assessment process.

After creating an account, you will complete a medical assessment for evaluation by one of the Felix healthcare practitioners. 

During your assessment, you will have the opportunity to send your practitioner questions via secure messaging.  

In most cases, practitioners will complete your assessment with secure messaging alone but sometimes they may determine you require an audio or video visit and/or further diagnostic testing to help determine the best treatment plan for you. 

If your practitioner has determined a prescription treatment is appropriate, they will approve your visit and write you a prescription. Our pharmacy will then ship your prescription to your home.

You’ll be able to message your healthcare practitioner if you have questions or want to make changes to your treatment at any time.

You can expect to receive a response from a healthcare practitioner within 24 hours of submission. If you’ve been waiting longer than this, please reach out to our Patient Support team through the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your account or our Contact Us page.

Great, you’ve already taken the first step! Next, a healthcare practitioner will review your assessment and if necessary, will send you a link to book an online audio or video appointment with them. This appointment will help them determine the best treatment plan for you. If your healthcare practitioner thinks you will benefit from an available medication, they will write you a prescription. Our pharmacy can ship your medication to your home if you would like your medication dispensed through the Felix Pharmacy network.

A signature upon delivery may be required.

Your address can be updated from the Shipping tab of your account. Kindly note that any changes need to be made 48hr ahead of your refill date.

Not long. After completing your assessment, a practitioner will generally respond within 24 hours, and often much sooner.

The pharmacy will process and fill your prescription within 2-3 business days of your prescription approval date if there is nothing blocking them from doing so.

All packages are shipped via Express Post, which usually takes 2-3 business days. You will receive an email with your tracking number once your treatment has been shipped.

You have 14 days from the date your tracking link was sent to notify us of an undelivered or lost package, or damaged medication.

There is currently no cost to have your medication sent to you from our Felix Pharmacy network.

There is currently no cost to have your treatment shipped to you from our Felix Pharmacy network.

Your tracking number will be activated when the courier picks up your shipment from the pharmacy. Please allow until 6 pm the following business day, and you should then be able to see the status of your package. If the tracking number still isn’t working, please reach out to our Patient Support team through the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your account or our Contact Us page and we’ll look into it.

Absolutely. All Felix shipments arrive in a nondescript blister package so you can have your treatment shipped wherever makes sense for you as long as there is someone there to sign for it.

We’ll contact you via email if your package is returned to us!

For most treatments, your meds will be destroyed 1 month after your fill date should you fail to respond to Felix Customer Support or contact the partner pharmacy. Temperature controlled medications may have a reduced reshipment eligibility window due to their limited shelf life, in accordance with product guidelines. All reshipments are at the discretion of a pharmacist’s professional judgment.

If you require assistance with a returned package, please reach out to our Patient Support team through the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your account or our Contact Us page.

Depending on your province of residence and the treatment being dispensed, your Felix packages may require a signature on delivery. If this cannot be collected where necessary, your package will be available at the closest post office for pick up. Usually, packages are available for up to 14 days after the first attempted delivery. If you don’t pick up your package within the allotted time, it will be returned to the sender, which may cause a further delay in your delivery.

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Status updates for your prescription will appear in the Upcoming tab. You’ll be able to see if your prescription is being processed by our pharmacists or if it’s en route for delivery.

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Refill schedule (drug dependent)

• Monthly: refill is processed approx. every 20 to 23 days
• Every 2 months: refill is processed approx. every 50 to 53 days
• Every 3 months: refill is processed approx. every 76 to 84 days

Yes, the pharmacy will process your prescription to account for any expected delays due to the holiday season.

We are happy to facilitate a release of your medical records with Felix to your primary care provider. Please send a request message through the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your account or our Contact Us page, and our clinical operations team will be happy to help.

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Your privacy is our top priority. All your data is 256 bit SSL/TLS encrypted, and we take significant steps to keep your data secure. You can read our Privacy Policy for more information. 

Yes, your security is paramount to Felix’s mission. Personal health information provided during your medical assessment is strictly and legally confidential between you and the Felix healthcare practitioner.

Beyond that, all your account information (including the medical assessment, credit card, and shipping information, etc.) is also stored safely and securely. Felix is compliant with all federal and provincial health privacy legislation. It is our duty to protect your data with comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies to ensure it stays private and secure.

Read more on our Privacy Policy.

Yes! In Canada, only a licensed healthcare practitioner can write a prescription, and only a registered pharmacist can fill that prescription. We are supported by leaders in the Canadian pharmacology and specialized medical fields. Felix adheres strictly to all the regulations set forth by all applicable Colleges of Pharmacists and Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in which we operate.

Absolutely. All prescriptions obtained via Felix are provided by licensed Canadian healthcare practitioners—the same as you would get at a hospital, doctor’s office, or clinic. These practitioners do not provide prescriptions unless they deem it medically safe and appropriate to write them based on your medical profile and assessment answers. Our assessments have been crafted by the practitioners on our medical team. Finally, all Felix Pharmacies are provincially accredited just like any retail pharmacy.

Go to Billing, and you will be able to update the credit card information on file.

The cost of the checkup visit varies by category, but in many cases there is no charge, so long as you complete your checkup visit before your current prescription expires.

Felix charges a fee for the online visit. In most cases the fee is $40 but varies by treatment category. The visit fee includes a prescription valid for up to a year (depending on the condition) and on-going support from the healthcare practitioner or pharmacist.

It depends. Treatment costs vary but will be in line with what you would pay at a pharmacy in person. You will see the estimated cost of your treatment before insurance, during the online visit but will only be billed for medication costs for your prescription once it is approved and sent to our pharmacy. Once approved, your treatment and payment will be processed within one to two days.

Keep in mind that you won’t necessarily need to pay the full price yourself. If you have insurance, Felix’s partner pharmacies will bill your insurer directly. You may also be eligible for financial support in your province.

We accept all major credit cards for any aspect of your treatment not covered by insurance or other financial support

While it is illegal in Canada to display market pricing for prescription medication, you will be able to see the estimated cost of medication during the online visit. The price shown is an estimation and will vary if the healthcare practitioner prescribes you a different medication, or if you have insurance or benefits coverage. All estimated prices shown during the online visit include the pharmacy fill fee based on the refill schedule of your choice.

Yes, the visit fee is charged when you submit your visit and is generally refunded if the visit is denied by your healthcare practitioner.
Exceptions apply: Weight Loss visit fees are refunded only if you are deemed clinically ineligible. Visit fees for Diagnostic categories (Metabolic Health, STIs) and Menopause are non-refundable. For these complex health categories, the visit fee covers the practitioner’s time to review your medical assessment, issuing a lab requisition, reviewing your lab results with you, and making a diagnosis if applicable.

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Treatment coverage varies greatly between different insurance plans.

The good news is that if you are covered, Felix can bill your insurer directly, and then process your treatment plan at no additional cost to you. We recommend that you upload your private and/or provincial benefit card during the online visit so that our pharmacy partner can apply any coverage you are eligible for before processing your treatment plan.

Insurance coverage for treatment plans through Felix doesn’t include the cost of your visit.

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Go to Billing where you can add or update your insurance information on file.

You will find the official receipt for your medication costs within your package from the pharmacy. This receipt can be used to submit a manual claim directly to your insurance/benefits provider. Future refills will be direct-billed directly to your insurance provider, once you have uploaded your insurance information from the Billing tab of your account.

The coverage you are eligible for will not be deducted until the pharmacy processes your refill, so the price you see in your profile is the estimated maximum medication cost before benefits. Once the pharmacy ships your meds, the actual cost will be displayed for the respective refill.

OHIP+ covers some birth control for eligible residents of Ontario who are under 25 years old and do not have private insurance. You can check if your birth control medication is covered here. Make sure to upload your Ontario health card during your online visit so our pharmacy partners can apply your coverage directly.

Medication coverage varies greatly between different plans, provinces, and has specific criteria that determine eligibility. For private insurance, we recommend contacting your benefits administrator with your details and the Drug Identification Number (DIN) and the drug name to determine your coverage.

For more details on provincial health plan coverage see below:

Alberta: Learn more about AHCIP here. Search for covered drugs here.

British Columbia: Learn more about MSP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Manitoba: Learn more about MHSIP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Learn more about MCP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Nova Scotia: Learn more about MSI here. Search for covered drugs here.

Ontario: Learn more about OHIP+ here. Search for covered drugs here.

Prince Edward Island: Learn more about Health PEI here. Search for covered drugs here.

Saskatchewan: Learn more about Saskatchewan Health Coverage here. Search for covered drugs here.‍

A Felix online visit is considered asynchronous since it is conveniently completed through a secure chat bases system. Currently, asynchronous visits are not covered by insurance or provincial health plans so you will be charged a visit fee, depending on the category of treatment you are requesting.

Treatment coverage varies greatly between different plans, provinces, and has specific criteria that determine eligibility. For private insurance, we recommend contacting your benefits administrator with your details and the information associated with your treatment. 

For more details on provincial health plan coverage see below:

Alberta: Learn more about AHCIP here. Search for covered treatments here.

British Columbia: Learn more about MSP here. Search for covered treatments here.

Manitoba: Learn more about MHSIP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Learn more about MCP here. Search for covered treatments here.

Nova Scotia: Learn more about MSI here. Search for covered treatments here.

Ontario: Learn more about OHIP+ here. Search for covered treatments here.

Prince Edward Island: Learn more about Health PEI here. Search for covered treatments here.

Saskatchewan: Learn more about Saskatchewan Health Coverage here. Search for covered treatments here.

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Yes, but at the discretion of our medical team. Please submit your insurance request form here. If the healthcare practitioner agrees to complete the form, a $35 fee per insurance form will apply.

Read more here for full details about the Insurance Special Authorization Form process.

If you run into any issues, please reach out to our Patient Support team through the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your account or our Contact Us page.

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