Insulin pen needles?

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Marks

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Type 1
Hi

Unfortunately my insulin pen (Novorapid Flexpen) needles have ‘fallen off’ my repeat prescription list and I cannot remember what they are (make and type).

My doctor’s receptionist says that unless I can tell them what they are called they cannot provide a new prescription.

I know the NHS are under extreme pressure and so I guess that is why they now are expecting patients to decide for themselves what they need to be prescribed.

I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to look at their box of needles and let me know so I can tell my doctor’s surgery what to prescribe for me.

Thanks
 
Marks said:
Hi

Unfortunately my insulin pen (Novorapid Flexpen) needles have ‘fallen off’ my repeat prescription list and I cannot remember what they are (make and type).

My doctor’s receptionist says that unless I can tell them what they are called they cannot provide a new prescription.

I know the NHS are under extreme pressure and so I guess that is why they now are expecting patients to decide for themselves what they need to be prescribed.

I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to look at their box of needles and let me know so I can tell my doctor’s surgery what to prescribe for me.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Wouldn't your chemist/pharmacist have those details?
 
That is really quite shocking. There must surely be a record of which needles you have been prescribed on their system.
Mine currently are Gluco Rx Carepoint Ultra but any will do as long as they are 4mm and 32gauge assuming you were using standard size needles. Needles are pretty universal as regards fit I believe but those above will definitely fit the NovoRapid Flexpen.
 
Marks said:
I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to look at their box of needles and let me know so I can tell my doctor’s surgery what to prescribe for me.
Click to expand...
There's no one answer to that. There are a variety of manufacturers. There's a standard fitting. Most likely you want 4mm 32G/0.23mm needles, and likely whatever they give will be fine. The box I've got are TriCare and seem fine. I guess BD is one of the larger manufacturers, and they make BD Viva, BD Micro-fine and probably others.

As @KathC says, asking your pharmacy is worth a try (if you particularly like the needles you've been using).
 
Tell them all you can remember was they were solid gold with 9 ct diamonds, and you need the same again.
Seriously, thats really poor! Not having a record of what was prescibed, and the idea of needles 'dropping off a list' of a diabetic. Words fail me!
 
Do you have no needles left whatsoever? You need to get it resolved urgently if so.

If you have a needle left it will say on the paper cover. If you have access to your medical records eg through nhs app you can read there what it was called. Or you could ask the GP to print off the list of what was last prescribed for you.
 
This is a bit shocking, as others have mentioned, the GP or pharmacist should have a record of your previous needles. Mine are BD Viva 4mm.
 
That really is appalling, but I suspect the receptionist doesn't know what they're talking about.

If your GP or pharmacist can't find it in your records, and they should be able to, you might as well ask for a good quality needle, the shorter and thinner the better! I have covered NovoFine ones for needle phobia, so you won't want those, but any of the uncovered NovoFine ones should fit Novo pens as they're the same manufactuer.
 
I’m on NovoMix Not NovoRapid - so unsure if it’s the same size needles..
BUT
my suggestion is try
your pharmacy where you usually collect the nova rapid pen from
should be able to let you have some,
or
if you have a diabetic team (at your hospital reach out to them)

the diabetes clinic at my local NHS hospital (although they don’t technically have a walk in policy)
once gave me a dozen, I at that point just spoke to the receptionist
and explained we had at that time had been an emergency situation and needed a few needles to tie me over,
sometimes the Dr’s receptionist can be quite how do we put this politely “gatekeepers“
 
Can I second the suggestion that you go back to the pharmacy where you got your last prescription, explain the situation, and ask them for help? They will keep far better records than your GP appears to do.

It would be interesting to see what reaction you get from the pharmacist....expect anything up to apoplectic.
 
That is shocking! I hope it is just the receptionist not understanding!

For my Novopens I use GlucoRX Carepoint Ultra 4mm/32G 0.23mm needles and the box states “universal fit” and lists compatible pens which includes Novo Nordisk so these would fit your Novorapid Flexpen.

I hope you get this sorted quickly!
 
Your best bet is probably to request a call back from a GP, or possibly nurse practitioner who has authority to prescribe.
 
Pick ones you like and tell them those! BD are good. Seriously, I’m sure your surgery is talking rubbish. Things don’t fall off prescriptions! Some ‘helpful’ person has either removed the needles, or they’ve mistakenly been moved to the Acute section (which would mean you can’t get them on repeat). They’d have a note of your needles anyway.
 
You could also Google and look for a box you recognise so that you can find the brand you had, then choose a length. Have you not got any needles left at all? Never trust the surgery - always build up a reserve so you still have a reasonable amount left when you go to re-order. That wash if there are any problems, you’ll be ok.
 
Following my diagnosis in late November I have had a few frustrations with getting prescriptions when I need them, having to ask for quantities to increase so I don’t run out, but this takes the biscuit. I have found adjusting to type 1 stressful enough - having rocks thrown in your path is unhelpful in the extreme.
 
JohnnyRam said:
Following my diagnosis in late November I have had a few frustrations with getting prescriptions when I need them, having to ask for quantities to increase so I don’t run out, but this takes the biscuit. I have found adjusting to type 1 stressful enough - having rocks thrown in your path is unhelpful in the extreme.
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I’ve had a similar issue with quantities, my original prescription was for a box of 100 needles. With a minimum of 4 per day this is only 25 days at best. I needed to speak to a doctor to get my repeat prescription quantity increased to 200 per month which wasn’t a problem at all. I think sometimes the GPs don’t fully understand / appreciate what’s involved with insulin on MDI, although I have always found that they get it when I ask for help with repeat prescriptions.
 
JohnnyRam said:
Following my diagnosis in late November I have had a few frustrations with getting prescriptions when I need them, having to ask for quantities to increase so I don’t run out, but this takes the biscuit. I have found adjusting to type 1 stressful enough - having rocks thrown in your path is unhelpful in the extreme.
Click to expand...

Very true! The surgeries can just add an extra level of stress to what’s already a stressful situation. Mine once left me with no testing strips over Christmas; messed up my insulin; removed things from the prescription the consultant had requested be added; ignored an important message from the pharmacist - I could go on and on. What’s adds to the stress is having to go through it all again 28 days later. You’d think they’d at least give 3 months of stuff to people with long-term conditions.
 
Do you have access to your medical records? If not, I suggest you request this from the surgery pronto - that may concentrate their minds! It will take a few days, which doesn’t help your immediate problem, but it may well help in the future if you can point to them and say “well, you prescribed these on such a date”

But I agree with others that this is most probably just a receptionist who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Ring back and insist on talking to someone who can help
 
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