Help! Need to break in to sharps bin...

[MeanMom]

... just done a really stupid thing and thrown half K's pen in the sharps bin with her empty novarapid vial!!!

Now made situation worse as, in trying to work out if I could get the lid off, I have closed and locked the flippin thing!

we have another pen as K uses a seperate pen for her levemir so i have put the novarapid in there for now - but is there a way in to a sharps bin? Assume not as the whole point is for it to be in accessable, but any ideas?

(Also how do I go about getting a new one?) (Edit - new pen - I have a spare bin)

What an idiot

 

[Ellie Jones]

Getting the new one is easy, just ring your GP and put in a request they should be on repeat prescription..

I could tell you how to get stuff out of a open sharp box but a closed one I've never tried..

About the only thing I can think of is a hacksaw or or chisel to break it open, but then you would have to keep the broken bin out of harms way and slowly transfer the contents into another bin.. If surgery will give you two then this isn't a problem as you can use one straight away, but otherwise you will have to transfer a little bit at a time over a period of time

 

[MeanMom]

Getting the new one is easy, just ring your GP and put in a request they should be on repeat prescription..

Thanks - but Pen isnt on the reapeat...

 

[Steff]

I once locked mine by accident when i was playing around with it,OH used a screwdriver underneath where it closed and it popped open fine..it needed abit of faffing around with mind you and I had to replace the bin as it would no longer close, i just kept it up aheight..

 

[MeanMom]

I once locked mine by accident when i was playing around with it,OH used a screwdriver underneath where it closed and it popped open fine..it needed abit of faffing around with mind you and I had to replace the bin as it would no longer close, i just kept it up aheight..

- thanks for advice Steffie - Ive just done that and it worked!!!!!

Any ideas how to get the pen out now (without resorting to hacksaw???)

 

[Mark T]

I once locked mine by accident when i was playing around with it,OH used a screwdriver underneath where it closed and it popped open fine..it needed abit of faffing around with mind you and I had to replace the bin as it would no longer close, i just kept it up aheight..

Yeah, you can unlock them with a screwdriver or two and a little persuasion. I've even managed to do it and be able to close the bin again.

Depending on the design you can sometimes unclip the whole top from plastic tub itself and get the lid completely off.

 

[Steff]

- thanks for advice Steffie - Ive just done that and it worked!!!!!

Any ideas how to get the pen out now (without resorting to hacksaw???)

have you got any tweezers or a pair of scissors something small enough to fit in through the hole, then u may be able to jangle it around so the pen sits up or at least lands where its easy for you to use tweezers and get a grip on it,hopefully it should ease out.

 

[Robster65]

I'd go for mutilation and just transfer contents to new one when you get it.

Sharps bins should be on repeat.

You should be given a spare pen for each type you use. If not, feel free to request one. They can break or get lost (or be thrown away!) and you might need it when GP/nurse aren't available.

Hope you manage to get it out.🙂

Rob

 

[katie]

To get a new pen, just put a note with the next prescription asking for the pen you want, or phone up and ask them if they can get it added on. I just added a note last time I wanted one 🙂

Goodluck!

 

[Copepod]

Try this first BEFORE mutilating bin...

Pen will be at top of bin, so I'd try a pair of kitchen tongs (assuming hole is big enough) first - works for me when I drop things down side of bed, and gap is too small for my hand / forearm.

If that doesn't work, shut yourself into a room, away from children, armed with a large tray and shake contents of bin onto tray until pen emerges. Then carefully replace contents back into bin.

You should always have a spare pen on standby, anyway.

 

[MeanMom]

Thanks everyone - knew you would know what to do

Fiddled about for a while with tweezers but Im not very dexterous so took an old veg knife to the 'prong' thingies round the hole which sawed thro' quite easily - i still have all my fingers and have the pen - woo hoo!

Will ask for a spare next script as we have been thinking this one may be on its way out anyway (dont know how long they last - we've had it a year - so thats over a 1000 uses so far?)

thanks again for help (perhaps a more accurate forum name would be 'UselessMom' 😱)

 

[Robster65]

Glad you managed to break in. 🙂

If you get a new pen, ask for 2 so you still have a spare and just tuck it into a drawer somewhere. You may never need it but if you do, you won't need to worry.

Rob

 

[Caroline]

thanks again for help (perhaps a more accurate forum name would be 'UselessMom' 😱)

I don't think you are useless, it shows a great deal of initiative to identfy a problem and find a solution...

 

[sofaraway]

Or ring the DSN and go and pick up a new one?

 

[MeanMom]

Or ring the DSN and go and pick up a new one?

... i was trying to save the NHS ?40 (cost of pen on Amazon).

.... and I dont have a car and DSN is a 2 hour round trip away on the bus.

... and DSN is scary😱

 

[sofaraway]

... i was trying to save the NHS ?40 (cost of pen on Amazon).

.... and I dont have a car and DSN is a 2 hour round trip away on the bus.

... and DSN is scary😱

ah I see, The DSN supplies are likely provided free from the reps. But a long bus trip- yeah I'd rather avoid that too!

Once when my pen was playing up and seemed to be leaking and my doctors kept writing the wrong prescriptions my DSN sent me one out in the post

 

[grahams mum]

Thanks - but Pen isnt on the reapeat...

make anote and order 2 so you always get a spare one also to take on holiday

 

[Estellaa]

reading this i realise that one i don't have sharp bins and two i don't have any back-up pens :/ bad times, glad you got the pen out though!

 

[novorapidboi26]

reading this i realise that one i don't have sharp bins and two i don't have any back-up pens :/ bad times, glad you got the pen out though!

Never used a sharps bin or seen one, even back in the 80s when my brother was diagnosed, and, although environmentally unfriendly, use disposable novorapid and levemir flex pens.

Still go the wee needle chopper thing from BD though........😱

 

[Mark T]

Never used a sharps bin or seen one, even back in the 80s when my brother was diagnosed, and, although environmentally unfriendly, use disposable novorapid and levemir flex pens.

Still go the wee needle chopper thing from BD though........😱

My father has always used beer cans for this purpose.