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Type 1 Sharp box

lorna_fletcher

Active Member
Messages
35
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
When I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago I got given a sharp box and it’s not been put on my prescription and they’re not giving me one until it is. Does anyone not have a sharp box, where do you put used needles etc
 
When I was diagnosed, I had no sharps bin and it was only 2 years ago that I was given one.
I was advised to put my sharps in a drinks bottle, ensure the top was correctly sealed when it was full and throw it out with the waste.

However, I am not sure this is the advice any more so recommend getting in touch with your GP and/or diabetes team and request a sharp box.

At the same time, it may be worth checking how to dispose of it as this seems to vary in different regions.
 
I never had a sharps box until last year, and never had one on prescription, so I actually went to my local chemist to ask their advice, so we had a chat and she said that they should be prescribable, but we both thought to check the price - we found out it was less than £2 so I just bought it there and then (cos let's face it getting a dr's appointment can take a while), and now when I take it to the docs to be disposed of they just replace it for free with one of roughly the same size - though as @helensaramay said, this may be dependent on your local area or even your local doctor as to whether they do this.
 
It looks depends on where you are. My local health board (it was the council before) supplies them and deliver one on request, free of charge, and replace it when it’s full. Some areas provide them for a fee, some surgeries domit, and some pharmacies do it. I’d call your surgery or local pharmacy and ask what the system is where you are.
 
I get mine from he chemist. The DSN gave me a form to start this of. Now I just take the full ones to the chemist and get an empty one.

It does seem to differ depending on where you live. I would suggest your DSN in the first instance
 
lorna_fletcher said:
When I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago I got given a sharp box and it’s not been put on my prescription and they’re not giving me one until it is. Does anyone not have a sharp box, where do you put used needles etc
Click to expand...
Sharps boxes are most definitely supplies Foc by your doctor. Speak to them.
 
Why do you want another sharps box when you were given one only 3 weeks ago? I have a sharps box on my online prescription list and can call one off when I need one. I hand my full one into the surgery reception
 
Thanks all. Didn't know this.

I carry an empty Nippets box in my testing kit to collect used test strips and pins in.

This advice will improve how I manage my condition with consideration for others.
 
amate007 said:
Sharps boxes are most definitely supplies Foc by your doctor. Speak to them.
Click to expand...
Sadly not everywhere. In Thanet for example, not just diabetics but any person who needs to dispose of clinical waste at home is charged for this service
 
lorna_fletcher said:
When I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago I got given a sharp box and it’s not been put on my prescription and they’re not giving me one until it is. Does anyone not have a sharp box, where do you put used needles etc
Click to expand...
I was given the first sharps box from the diabetes team when I was started on Insulin. Now I just hand the full one into our local health centre and they exchange it. In fact after I asked they gave me a large box and a small one to use when I'm out and about.
I don't think using any other container or jar/bottle is suitable as they cannot be disposed of in the regular bins. The plastic boxes are collected by the health centres and disposed of appropriately.
 
I’m my authority area you get a form from your gp and then send it to the council waste management department and they issue the sharps box . You then call them when it’s full and it’s collected and replaced
 
lorna_fletcher said:
When I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago I got given a sharp box and it’s not been put on my prescription and they’re not giving me one until it is. Does anyone not have a sharp box, where do you put used needles etc
Click to expand...
 
This problem has been around for ages. Before retiring I worked in the NHS and part of my role was the management and disposal of clinical waste, which includes sharps. I should add that I have been a T1 diabetic for over 45 yrs. It is illegal to put waste into the wrong waste stream, for example even at home if your council offer a separate collection of plastic you should by law only put plastic in that waste stream. Going back to sharps it is the same, someone wrote that they was told to put sharps in a plastic bottle and put the top on, this is totally wrong. All diabetics are entitled to a sharps box which is 500ml in size, this should be filled with blood testing sticks and in my opinion needles as they can (even if clipped) cause injury. I always used to put needles, sharps and finger prickers in the sharps box, although some finger prickers are enclosed and I think it is OK to put them in general waste. Another issue is the collection, some surgeries will collect for disposal, others won't and you have to use others surgeries, this is because the agreed contracts with the NHS and waste collection providers are different in different parts of the country, so cases CCGs pick up the cost, some surgeries pick up the cost or another agent such as NHS Property Services. I would suggest that you talk with your surgery and get them to supply you with a sharps box, put your blood testing sticks in it and also ask for a clipper for needles which according to my surgery can then go into general waste. Finally, please ensure your sharp boxes are full to the line, as very often the NHS are charged the same for disposal whether the box has one item in it or full to the fill line. I did try to get larger boxes on prescription as it was more cost effective to dispose of a 7 litre box when compared to a 500 ml box, but to no avail. Until the NHS take this issue seriously and all CCGs, trusts etc deal with it as one there will always be questions raised over this. Sorry the reply is so long winded, but it was a pet issue that I tried many times to get resolved but always ran into brick walls.
 
I still don't use a sharps bin or box......

I used to use the bd safe clip for taking the needles off the pens injections.....

now on the pump I just bin everything as normal.....
 
DVA said:
I would suggest that you talk with your surgery and get them to supply you with a sharps box, put your blood testing sticks in it and also ask for a clipper for needles which according to my surgery can then go into general waste.
Click to expand...
Why put blood testing strips in the sharps box? There's a lot more blood on feminine hygiene products and they go straight into household waste...
 
Sani Thomas said:
In fact after I asked they gave me a large box and a small one to use when I'm out and about.
Click to expand...
In order to cut down on waste, I always use a small bottle when I am out and about and then decant into my larger sharps bin.
If I am on holiday, I use a water bottle ... and then decant when I get home.
If I am out for the day, I use something like an old test strip tub ... and then decant when I get home.
 
In my home town (in Scotland) sharps boxes can be obtained on request (free) from GP or certain chemists that GP suggests. Return full boxes back to GP only, and replacements given again, on request free
 
lorna_fletcher said:
When I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago I got given a sharp box and it’s not been put on my prescription and they’re not giving me one until it is. Does anyone not have a sharp box, where do you put used needles etc
Click to expand...

I have to buy my own too !!!
 
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