whitehartpain58
Member
- Messages
- 9
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Insulin
No need to be like that is thereThen be thankful that you live where you do and get the needles for free and in plentiful supply!
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No need to be like that is thereThen be thankful that you live where you do and get the needles for free and in plentiful supply!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As the NHS is on the verge of bankruptcy due to the high cost of wastage it wont be long before we are all having to pay for our supplies so make the most of it while you can.Yes I could reuse over and over, but why would I if I don't have to??
As the NHS is on the verge of bankruptcy due to the high cost of wastage it wont be long before we are all having to pay for our supplies so make the most of it while you can.
Hi, I am also having problems with my GP. They do not treat my diabetes and will never usually discuss it. I went yesterday about something and asked for more needles - I use 5 a day too and would NEVER re-use. From being prescribed 200 per month for some years following a similar earlier fight which ended up me having to go to my DSN and diabetes doctor who wrote to the GP surgery telling them that they HAD to give me more. Not only need them for 5 injections but for extras and mistakes or a bent needle! Was told "the average diabetic does not need 100 per month!" Erm, what is an average diabetic? Suggest you contact your hospital nurse/doctor and tell them what is happening and NEVER re-use just because others do! Not worth the risk! Some people might have gotten lucky, but many more from whom we have not yet heard, have not! The needles I use are triggered by pressure and cannot be re-used! The person I saw yesterday did not even know the difference between LANCETS and NEEDLES! Had to explain it 4 times!Yesterday I went to my GP to ask for an increase on the quantity of needles I am prescribed (my current prescription is 100 needles every 4 weeks which equates to 3.5 needles each day). As a minimum I use 5 needles per day or 140 needles in a 4 week period (I use levemir twice a day & Apidra 3 times a day if I have 3 meals, no snacks & need no correction doses).
I was astonished when the GP REFUSED to increase the prescription & recommend I REUSE MY NEEDLES!!!
He said there was no problem in reusing my needles & told me to use just one needle on my Apidra & one on my Levemir for each day!!!
I was speechless. I couldn't believe the advice I had just been given. One of the first things I was told when I was diagnosed T1 seven years ago, was NEVER REUSE NEEDLES.
I want to take this issue further because I'm disgusted with this appalling advice... does anyone know what the best course of action would be, who I should report it to & should I ask for a prescription review with another GP at my surgery (it took me over 3 weeks to get the original appointment in the first instance)?
I agree and also only change needles when I change vials. A couple of years ago doc prescribed wrong pen & I asked Boots for some syringes until the correct script was issued. They told me I would have to pay for them--I became quite angry because drug addicts are just given syringes but I needed them so I could eat and be well enough to work and carry out normal activities--had a bit of a rant, truth be known!!!. They issued me with a pack of 10 syringes at no cost. There really is something wrong somewhere...............Around 30 years ago we had to pay for our syringes and drug addicts got them for nothing. I did a lot of campaigning at the time to get this changed.
I only change my needles when I change my vials in my pens...
Totally uneccesary to change everytime from my point of view...and a waste of insulin priming the needles each time too..
Yep, St Swithins day, according to tradition
As the NHS is on the verge of bankruptcy due to the high cost of wastage it wont be long before we are all having to pay for our supplies so make the most of it while you can.
You just have to look on Ebay or Amazon for strips or lancets.. Average people selling these. I have to purchase mine yet they collect their prescription for free & sell them.
If you suspect a seller is doing this then report them to eBay or Amazon, here is eBay's policy on prescription items:
Any substance or item that requires a prescription from, or the supervision of, a licensed practitioner (such as a doctor, dentist, optometrist, optician, pharmacist or veterinarian) to dispense isn’t allowed on eBay.
http://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/medicine-and-healthcare-products-policy
I'd imagine you'd be able to tell if the item has been prescribed, the prescription labels are quite hard to remove and often tears the packaging when trying.
I'm pleased this has been sortedI had a reply from my DN today.
As I expected, I had been given incorrect advice from my gp & she has had to write up an incident report to ensure the gp is given more teaching on the importance of a new needle for every insulin injection.
My needle prescription is now at 200 every 4 weeks .
So we should start to reuse our needles over and over to save the NHS money.
Interesting view, but no thanks.
When I read how many needles you go through in a month I nearly dropped my iPad! When I was a T1 diabetic (before my transplant) we were actively encouraged to make needles last, primarily due to the cost. I was more than happy with this as it meant not having to change a perfectly decent needle every time I needed insulin, but also I didn't need a sharps bin the size of a wheelie bin! In over 25 years of using my needles multiple times, I never had a single problem or any signs of infection. I often used them until they got blunt!!Yesterday I went to my GP to ask for an increase on the quantity of needles I am prescribed (my current prescription is 100 needles every 4 weeks which equates to 3.5 needles each day). As a minimum I use 5 needles per day or 140 needles in a 4 week period (I use levemir twice a day & Apidra 3 times a day if I have 3 meals, no snacks & need no correction doses).
I was astonished when the GP REFUSED to increase the prescription & recommend I REUSE MY NEEDLES!!!
He said there was no problem in reusing my needles & told me to use just one needle on my Apidra & one on my Levemir for each day!!!
I was speechless. I couldn't believe the advice I had just been given. One of the first things I was told when I was diagnosed T1 seven years ago, was NEVER REUSE NEEDLES.
I want to take this issue further because I'm disgusted with this appalling advice... does anyone know what the best course of action would be, who I should report it to & should I ask for a prescription review with another GP at my surgery (it took me over 3 weeks to get the original appointment in the first instance)?