Emergency Supplies

[Ali H]

Somewhat stupidly, I picked up my novopens this morning without realising I didn't have any needles in the zip up case. Went 50 miles away to shop and realised I was without any way to inject so consequently we didn't get to have lunch out. Nobody would help, neither Boots nor Superdrug pharmacists had a solution and despite the fact I could produce the Novopens, meter etc I couldn't get a needle or needles. I am amazed there is no small pack available as an emergency supply via a pharmacist. So over to you, have you been as stupid as me and if so, how did you resolve it?

Luckily I got back to the car, my levels were 8.7 so nothing drastic and safe to drive etc. Just meant another 1 1/2 hours until I got home and could eat.

Ali

 

[tim2000s]

I'd have just spent the tenner on a pack of 100 and carried on with the day out. I've never had a problem buying needles for pens, and going back to when I was first diagnosed, they weren't available on prescription with my health authority at the time , so it's almost second nature.

 

[noblehead]

Would they not sell you the neeedles Ali, seems rather odd as I thought you'd be able to pay for them, considering you had a pen and no doubt a bg meter as evidence you have diabetes.

I've only ever been caught out once and that was soon after I was diagnosed, back then you would draw the insulin up into a glass syringe and they only give me one vial of each insulin until I had seen my gp, I went and dropped one the kitchen floor and it smashed to pieces, so I went along to the hospital ward where I was an in-patient and they give me some more to tide me over.

 

[Ali H]

Superdrug would sell me 100 for £16, Boots didn't seem to want to entertain anything. Neither were forthcoming about being able to claim anything back with my exemption card etc. We just had a late lunch when we got home, I found out I didn't have a needle when we stopped for a coffee and sausage in a bun before we started shopping. Luckily I walked it off over the next 3 or 4 hours lol and I had long acting on board plus some short acting that was about half way through, that I had taken back at home so no harm done. I was just surprised there didn't seem to be a way to get a small pack of needles easily and that the pharmacies weren't very helpful.

Ali

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi Ali, I now keep a couple of spare needles in my blood glucose test kit( which I take with me when I'm out and about and also a couple tucked away in the handbag.I am using. I was caught out this year after a diabetes clinic appointment. My daughter wanted to have lunch in the hospital restaurant, everything was fine until I opened up my Insulin holder and I had no needles in with the pen, so I dashed back to the diabetes clinic told the nurse of my needle problem and she opened her drawer and said I could help myself, I took two different ones and the first one fitted, phew !!! I was very lucky I was in the hospital at the time.

RRB

 

[Ali H]

Yes I will now put some all over the place lol, lesson learnt, I was really just expressing my surprise at how nobody seemed to have a solution in a pharmacy nor be very willing to explain what I could or couldn't do with regard to reclaiming etc. One said go to the Walk In centre, yeah right, wait 5 hours in a room full of lurgy ridden people only to be told we can't help either!!! Was easier not to eat and have a late lunch.

Ali

 

[AlexMBrennan]

I'd have just spent the tenner on a pack of 100 and carried on with the day out. I've never had a problem buying needles for pens, and going back to when I was first diagnosed, they weren't available on prescription with my health authority at the time , so it's almost second nature.

Last I checked insulin pen needles are only available on prescription, so you can no more " spend a tenner" than you can go and buy a pack of insulin.
If no GPs are open, you might have to go to A&E for an emergency prescription

 

[Nuthead]

Last I checked insulin pen needles are only available on prescription, so you can no more " spend a tenner" than you can go and buy a pack of insulin.
If no GPs are open, you might have to go to A&E for an emergency prescription

Don't think so. You can buy them from the shop on this web site

 

[tim2000s]

Last I checked insulin pen needles are only available on prescription, so you can no more " spend a tenner" than you can go and buy a pack of insulin.
If no GPs are open, you might have to go to A&E for an emergency prescription

Absolutely not true. They aren't pom just like testing strips.

 

[Ali H]

Superdrug were seemingly offering me a box of 100 for £16. I wonder why it isn't possible to grab a small pack for emergencies, you would think pharmacies would cater for such a thing, I can't be the only person to have done this in the world surely?

Ali

 

[noblehead]

Superdrug were seemingly offering me a box of 100 for £16. I wonder why it isn't possible to grab a small pack for emergencies, you would think pharmacies would cater for such a thing, I can't be the only person to have done this in the world surely?

Ali

Of course your not the only one..

You can also buy packs of disposable syringes, BD Micro-Fine do them in packs of 10's that would be OK to use in an emergency, and probably cheaper than paying £16 for a box of 100 needles at Superdrug.

 

[Ali H]

You know Noblehead, I asked them about those but they shrugged their shoulders and looked confused. I showed them a Novopen and explained it was just a vial within a pen and I could see no reason not to use a normal syringe.

Ali

 

[tim2000s]

I think it depends on the pharmacy. Some are much better than others, and sometimes you have to be very precise and get them to check their system.

 

[AlexMBrennan]

Well, the Boots pharmacist told me that they can't give me any needles without a prescription, and were not impressed with the "absolutely not true" argument.

 

[Ali H]

Insane huh! Shouldn't be so difficult for just one or two needles.

Ali

 

[noblehead]

You know Noblehead, I asked them about those but they shrugged their shoulders and looked confused. I showed them a Novopen and explained it was just a vial within a pen and I could see no reason not to use a normal syringe.

Ali

I'd be very surprised if none of the big pharmacy's stocked them Ali, when I use to use glass syringes I would regularly buy the disposable syringes.

 

[Ali H]

Yup quite. I got home and put 2 needles in the case lol.

Ali

 

[Daibell]

You were dealing with some pretty incompetent pharmacies. I'm fairly certain you can buy without a script (Google some online pharnacies) and any decent pharmacy will give you one or two anyway

 

[Ali H]

I know Daibell, I was amazed too but I am telling it as it was. Really odd.

Ali