Calibration Intervals: When and Why Medical Devices Need Checking

When you rely on a medical device—like an insulin pump, a precision device that delivers controlled doses of insulin based on programmed settings or a nebulizer, a tool that turns liquid medication into a mist for inhalation—you’re trusting it to deliver the exact dose, every single time. But devices drift. Batteries weaken. Sensors get dusty. That’s where calibration intervals, scheduled checks and adjustments to ensure a device performs within approved accuracy limits come in. These aren’t just paperwork. They’re safety checks. Skip them, and you might be getting 20% less medication—or worse, too much.

Think of calibration like checking your car’s odometer. If it’s off by 10%, you think you’ve driven 100 miles when you’ve actually driven 110. With a medical device, that error isn’t about distance—it’s about your health. An inhaler that’s miscalibrated might deliver half the asthma medication you need. An infusion pump that’s drifted could flood your veins with painkillers. The FDA doesn’t set universal calibration rules for every device, but manufacturers do. And those rules? They’re based on real-world data from hospitals, clinics, and patient reports. For example, most insulin pumps need calibration every 3 to 6 months. inhalers, devices used for asthma and COPD that require precise aerosol delivery often need checking after 100 uses or every 6 months, whichever comes first. And if you’re using a home blood glucose monitor? Even if it’s digital, the sensor strips degrade. Calibration isn’t optional—it’s what keeps your treatment from becoming a gamble.

Why do some people skip this? Because it’s invisible. If your inhaler still makes a hissing sound, you assume it’s working. But sound doesn’t equal accuracy. A study in the Journal of Asthma found that nearly 40% of patients using metered-dose inhalers delivered less than 50% of their prescribed dose due to calibration drift. That’s not user error. That’s device failure. And it’s preventable. The good news? Many modern devices now have built-in usage trackers and alerts. Some insulin pumps remind you when it’s time for a check. Some nebulizers log last calibration dates. But if yours doesn’t? Don’t wait for a warning. Write it down. Set a calendar alert. Talk to your pharmacist or home health provider—they often have checklists and can help you track it.

Below, you’ll find real-world guides on how medication delivery systems fail, why timing matters in drug effectiveness, and how to spot when your device isn’t performing as it should. These aren’t theoretical. They’re stories from people who learned the hard way—and what they did to fix it.