FDA issues alert about sharing of insulin pens

[Northerner]

The Food and Drug Administration's latest message to consumers and healthcare professionals seems like a no-brainer: "Insulin pens are not for sharing."

But the agency said it knew of two undisclosed hospitals that it said had reused the cartridge components of insulin pens in administering insulin to more than 2,000 patients, though the hospitals reportedly changed the pens themselves.

http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/fda-issues-alert-about-sharing-insulin-pens?

Why would reusing the cartridges put you at risk? Surely it's the needle that comes into contact with the patients?

 

[trophywench]

Yes, but t'other end of the needle goes in the cartridge, so if you have hep A (or is it B) or MRSA or something mega contagious, then there is a chance that I could cop for it if we shared a cartridge. 😱

Now a vial - that's different! LOL