Daily boxes?

[rspence]

ok not entirely sure how to describe this dilemma but it would help me enormously if i could look in our stash drawer of needles and lancets and see straight away how many days off stuff we have left.

I was wondeirng if anoyone has come up with a system for this?

Or indeed if anyone knows if you can get extra large Mon-Sun labelled tablet boxes that I could fill?

Sometimes i panic that we're running out when really we've got plenty other times i think the opposite and then realise its friday and the flippin' prescription won't be ready til tuesday and thats only if the darling chemist get the order right (which they haven't managed at all yet!)

So has anyone got some tried and tested solution or failing that a random idea that i could try???

Thanks for reading and considering my question,
Rachel

 

[SweetGuy]

I always thought that certain pharmacists will arrange all this sort of thing for you by giving you weekly so called "dosset" boxes with all your meds in compartments for particular days so you don't forget to take them or if you have problems remembering if you have. My own doctor keeps asking me if I would like this service but up to now I have declined preferring to manage my own.

 

[rspence]

thank you

I'll bob to a chemist this week and ask if they know if you can get these boxes big enough for needles and lancets as opposed to tablets. thanks.

 

[Caroline]

have you thought of putting dividers in the drawer. I know you can get those things that keep socks all nicely in pairs or trays for cutlery, or have a look at sets of little storage boxes. I buy things called tubits, they are quite cheap and handy for all kinds of things, they are usually with the food bags in the supermarket.

 

[rspence]

another good thougt thanks

no i hadn't thought of that one caroline - thanks for the ideas.

 

[shiv]

I have needles on bulk order from the dr, I think I get two boxes at a time so when I get about half way through the second one I put in another order. Lancets I get in bulk too - I use the multiclix device and the lancets come in boxes, so when there's a few left (each drum contains 6 lancets) I'll get another order in.

For insulin I put in a repeat when I open the last box of each kind, and the same with strips - when I open the last box I put in another order (I get 4 boxes a time).

Edit: just wanted to say this is something you'll learn over time 🙂 for example I know I go through roughly a box of strips a week, so I know I have time to order a new lot when I open the last box.

 

[Copepod]

I have used 35mm film cannisters and / or empty tablet pots with child-proof lids and / or tiny ziplock plastic bags (about 3cm x 4cm) to carry items when travelling. Each ziplock bag can hold about 3 needles and 4 lancets, which lasts me about a month, but many people would use that each day, so could use that for calculating how many days' supply they have left. 35mm film pots & tablet pots can also be used for holding used sharps until you can transer them to a proper sharps bin.

 

[Monica]

C has her own drawer with the needles and lancets that she uses. The rest are stashed away in the cupboard. When she needs to refill her drawer, I reorder some more stuff. With the insulin we do the same as shiv. When she opens the last box (we usually have 2 of each), I order a new one. That way we shouldn't ever run out of anything. I don't have a monthly standing order, I just order as and when. And when we're off on holiday, I usually order double the quantity without any problem. I just put at the top of my email that it's a holiday order.

 

[MCH]

The other thing to remember is that your pharmacist might let you have some while you are waiting for your prescription if you get really stuck an odd time. (I was offered this option once when I had nearly run out of strips).