Can lancets be used multiple times?

A

AlexMBrennan

Well-Known Member
Messages
385
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Are you honestly surprised by this? It says not to reuse lancets on the packaging, so *obviously* the pharmacist/doctor isn't going to tell you otherwise. Similarly, it's hardly surprising to find people ignoring rules when it makes their lives easier.

To conclude from this that every rule you do not understand can be ignored, however, seems unwise.
 
tim2000s

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
AlexMBrennan said:
Are you honestly surprised by this? It says not to reuse lancets on the packaging, so *obviously* the pharmacist/doctor isn't going to tell you otherwise. Similarly, it's hardly surprising to find people ignoring rules when it makes their lives easier.

To conclude from this that every rule you do not understand can be ignored, however, seems unwise.
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Well you say that, but when I was in hospital after being diagnosed, the nurses on the ward wouldn't change the lancets if they did multiple tests on you....
 
D

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,654
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
The pharma manufacturers are in the business of selling products so will always err on the cautious (more profitable side?). HCPs will always play it safe and in theory there is a small infection risk and extra pain when the lancet is blunt. In practice many of us re-use them many times without problems. It is up to you to assess the trade-offs.
 
S

Sable_Jan

Guest
As with all the other replies here I first used a fresh lancet every test and spent hours on eBay getting the best prices. I don't get them prescribed being pre-diabetic only but I wanted to test to see what spiked the blood sugars. You will no doubt find if you DO buy on eBay that folks are selling off their "excess" prescribed ones (still had a label on one of them).

I found I was spending a LOT of money even with my eBay purchases so asked the question you have - and got very similar replies. 95% and aybe more re-use them at least over the day; week; month and the odd ones saying never change them until they hurt... I asked about infection risk, contamination of next sample etc and all were agreed that they'd not had any problems with either especially when hands are well washed first. Quite often that pricking doesn't pick up any blood on the lancet as it is so fast

I now re-use and the lancets are lasting well now.......... test strips obviously cannot e re-used
 
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