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Actually there are several reasons why you can get a false high or low from a glucometer (metabolic conditions, improper cleaning of site, glucometer out of calibration or stored in too hot or cold of a climate), so as stated above, you should be treating the patient, not the machine. The doctor you referenced probably orders $1,000.00 worth of lab tests on a flu patient. Nonetheless, I am more concerned about you handling the contaminated needle to get your sample, rather than doing a finger-stick. Do you not see the inherent danger in doing so ? Yes, you are saving the patient a "stick", but by what percentage have you increased your chances of getting a stick ?