4mm needles black listed

[sarah1282]

Ok so I've just been to my chemist to pick up my usual prescription only to be told the nhs have black listed BD 4mm needles arrgghhh panic set in he gave me he's last box and said I need to go to my drs to change my prescription for next time to size 5mm. Has anyone else heard about this??? I can't get hold of my Dr or Dsn.

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[catherinecherub]

Hi Sarah,

This was discussed in August last year.

It seems the needles are still available but the name has been changed. Your prescription has the old name on it I expect.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...cro-fine-pen-needles.46049/page-2#post-419837


http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/withdrawal-of-bd-micro-fine-pen-needles.46049/

 

[mo1905]

I still get 4mm OK. Got some today in fact, no mention of being stopped. The make of mine are Comfort Point.

 

[mopsy21]

Hi. My prescription for the BD 4mm needles was changed to 5mm last year. I submitted the detals of the BD 4mm needles to the GP surgery, but received Gluco-RX 4mm needles instead. These do not seem to be of the same quality as the BD needles, and they are also 0.01 thicker. The BD 4mm needles are still available to buy, so I presume the change is all about cost, as the Gluco-RX 4mm needles are significantly cheaper than the BD ones. Bit annoying though!

On a slightly dfferent topic, I picked up my prescription today for my Lantus pre-filled pens and realised that there were only two in the box rather than the five that my prescription stipulates. I took it up with the pharmacy, and they showed me the instructions from the surgey definitely stating 'two'. I've left a message with the surgery and hopefully will get a reply tomorrow as to why this has been changed. I can understand changing to cheaper pen needles (although I don't like it), but changing the supply of insulin is rather worrying!

Hope you can get the 4mm needles sorted out, but it does sound as if the supply through the surgeries might dry up - in some areas at least.

 

[Julie1471]

I was told BD 4 mm comfort +, now is the name. Got told I couldn't have them under old, but new name I could, people just need to scroll down to find them, as dropped of one page onto the next. Due to prescribing.

 

[sarah1282]

Thanks everyone I just find it shocking I thought as we use them daily we would be informed before they change and mopsy21 my Dr changes what I'm allowed all the time with this prescription I didn't get the yellow bin he took it of without me realising I don't know where he thinks I can get rid of my needles.

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[daniT1D]

My GP's also did this (changed to 5mm and told me the 4mm were discontinued) I got the diabetes centre to write to them and haven't had a problem since

With the sharps bin I just call my local council and they collect the full bin (left on the doorstep so you don't have to wait it) and leave a new one.


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[sarah1282]

Thanks for the tip dabiT1D I will give them a call tomorrow

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[Davyb]

You could always look up what is available in the BNF or the Drug Tariff

BNF is at http://www.bnf.org/bnf/index.htm
and the Drug Tariff at http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/edt_intro.htm
(thats the version for England and Wales) the Scottish and Northern Irish versions are slightly different, at different website. In Eire there is also a drug Tariff system also, Google/Bing etc.will find them for you,

All the needles should be compatible at the threaded end as they have to conform to an ISO world wide standard.

The many manufacturers will also have information on their websites possibly including the 7 digit PIP codes (Pharmaceutical Interface Products code)

 

[PaulinaB]

Hi. My prescription for the BD 4mm needles was changed to 5mm last year. I submitted the detals of the BD 4mm needles to the GP surgery, but received Gluco-RX 4mm needles instead. These do not seem to be of the same quality as the BD needles, and they are also 0.01 thicker. The BD 4mm needles are still available to buy, so I presume the change is all about cost, as the Gluco-RX 4mm needles are significantly cheaper than the BD ones. Bit annoying though!

On a slightly dfferent topic, I picked up my prescription today for my Lantus pre-filled pens and realised that there were only two in the box rather than the five that my prescription stipulates. I took it up with the pharmacy, and they showed me the instructions from the surgey definitely stating 'two'. I've left a message with the surgery and hopefully will get a reply tomorrow as to why this has been changed. I can understand changing to cheaper pen needles (although I don't like it), but changing the supply of insulin is rather worrying!

Hope you can get the 4mm needles sorted out, but it does sound as if the supply through the surgeries might dry up - in some areas at least.

Maybe they meant 2 packs, not 2 pens at least I hope they did...

 

[hale710]

I get 4mm BD micro-fine+ needles no problem, collected some not long ago.

Is that the difference with NHS and NHS Scotland?


Blogging at drivendiabetic.wordpress.com

 

[searley]

Always had 4mm not had a problem getting them, had some delivered by the pharmacy last week


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[Valaraki]

I managed to get BD 4mm needles just yesterday as my son has just been diagnosed with T1 and this was us stocking up.

 

[mopsy21]

Good to know that the BD 4mm needles are still being prescribed. It does seem a case of badgering the surgery if the needles have been changed, but personaly I've given up for the moment and bought some from the Diabetes.co.uk online shop. Just over £50 for three boxes (VAT-free), and these will last for most of a year. I don't mnd the odd £50 now and agan, but I might try again at the surgery when these run out (as I'll be retiring next year and going onto pension!).

Slightly off topic with the insulin pens again - just had a phone call from the surgery confirming that the prescription has gone back to five pens. No explanation of why it was changed, but, as PaulinaB suggests, it might have been that they were thinking of two boxes. The surgery's been pretty amenable so far, so I'd like to think they were trying to be helpful rather than vindictive.

Just to add that my local council deals with sharps bin collections, and they also provide clean bins - one size only (large). I had to register with them, but once I'd done that, it's simply a case of ringing up when I need one changed. I found out by logging onto the council website.

 

[hale710]

Good to know that the BD 4mm needles are still being prescribed. It does seem a case of badgering the surgery if the needles have been changed, but personaly I've given up for the moment and bought some from the Diabetes.co.uk online shop. Just over £50 for three boxes (VAT-free), and these will last for most of a year. I don't mnd the odd £50 now and agan, but I might try again at the surgery when these run out (as I'll be retiring next year and going onto pension!).

Slightly off topic with the insulin pens again - just had a phone call from the surgery confirming that the prescription has gone back to five pens. No explanation of why it was changed, but, as PaulinaB suggests, it might have been that they were thinking of two boxes. The surgery's been pretty amenable so far, so I'd like to think they were trying to be helpful rather than vindictive.

Just to add that my local council deals with sharps bin collections, and they also provide clean bins - one size only (large). I had to register with them, but once I'd done that, it's simply a case of ringing up when I need one changed. I found out by logging onto the council website.

A year?!? 3 boxes (300 needles) does me 2 months (usually 5 injections a day)


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[mopsy21]

Good point, hale - I should have said that most days I only inject Novorapid once, so that's why 300 needles will last quite a long time. I do go through them more rapidly when I'm on holiday and eating more, but even then it's only two needles a day (rarely need an injection at breakfast). Also, I use the prescribed BD 5mm needles for the Lantus injection (one a day), so that saves the 4mm ones too. As is said many times, we're all different!