Is there a needle clipper available in the UK?

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I used to use the BD Clipper but felt that it was a waste of time.
It left a part of needle after clipping which I scratched myself on a number of times.
Lancets and needles come with a "lid" to cover the point and you should get a sharps box to dispose of all sharps.
 
I have had a BD SafeClip on order from my pharmacy since May 2023.
I got no answer from BD when I emailed them, so I have little hope of getting another one.
Now I just carefully put the grey plastic cylinder on the needle, then the outer translucent cap and unscrew it from the pen, and put the entire assembly in my sharps' box.
[Yes, I live dangerously...!]
 
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John Gray said:
I have had a BD SafeClip on order from my pharmacy since May 2023.
I got no answer from BD when I emailed them, so I have little hope of getting another one.
Now I just carefully put the grey plastic cylinder on the needle, then the outer translucent cap and unscrew it from the pen, and put the entire assembly in my sharps' box.
[Yes, I live dangerously...!]
Click to expand...
The outer translucent cap doesn’t need to go in the sharps bin, only the inner needle and inner cap go in. You’ll get loads more in the box, saving costs of disposal
 
I have used them in the past (and then re-capped the clipped plastic threaded bit to prevent any scratchiness)

But I’ve not regularly used anything needing a needle clipper for almost 12 years now, so I’m a bit out of the loop with their current availability.

Good luck with your search!
 
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Lucyr, Helli: I can see what you're doing, but not how you do it!
How do you unscrew the (inner-capped) needle from the pen - "by fingers", or do you put the outer cap on,unscrew the needle, then separate the needle and inner cap from the outer cap with tweezers, or what?
 
John Gray said:
Lucyr, Helli: I can see what you're doing, but not how you do it!
How do you unscrew the (inner-capped) needle from the pen - "by fingers", or do you put the outer cap on,unscrew the needle, then separate the needle and inner cap from the outer cap with tweezers, or what?
Click to expand...
I just grasp the threaded bit with my fingers, like this (imagine my other hand is holding the pen part, I needed to take it off to press the camera button)

IMG_3427.jpeg
 
John Gray said:
Lucyr, Helli: I can see what you're doing, but not how you do it!
How do you unscrew the (inner-capped) needle from the pen - "by fingers", or do you put the outer cap on,unscrew the needle, then separate the needle and inner cap from the outer cap with tweezers, or what?
Click to expand...
I use fingers - it may be that as my tremor (Parkinsonism) increases that may not be wise, but at present it is OK.

I used to put the outer covers in plastic recycling, but reverted to general waste after someone (@eggyg possibly???) said the sorters hate small things as they jam the rollers or something?
 
John Gray said:
Lucyr, Helli: I can see what you're doing, but not how you do it!
How do you unscrew the (inner-capped) needle from the pen - "by fingers", or do you put the outer cap on,unscrew the needle, then separate the needle and inner cap from the outer cap with tweezers, or what?
Click to expand...
I unscrew it with my fingers or with the needle remover in the sharps bin lid. I’ll take a photo later to show you the needle unscrewing tool on the lid.
 
John Gray said:
Lucyr, Helli: I can see what you're doing, but not how you do it!
How do you unscrew the (inner-capped) needle from the pen - "by fingers", or do you put the outer cap on,unscrew the needle, then separate the needle and inner cap from the outer cap with tweezers, or what?
Click to expand...
Pretty close to what you describe except I don't clip the needle.
I put the inner cover onto the needle whilst it is on the pen and unscrew.

I find the inner cap provides sufficient protection to avoid scratching whilst unscrewing.

A slight caveat - as I have been pumping for 8 years, my needles for my back up insulin pens are pretty old. I assume there has been no change in the needle design and protection in that time.
 
helli said:
And the outer cap can go in the plastic recycling
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Is that universal? Certainly where I live we can only recycle categories 1 and 2 of plastics. My needle caps have no triangle mark on them so not sure if they’re OK or not. If not, I would certainly pity the poor sorters taking all those little things out of the mix!
 
helli said:
A slight caveat - as I have been pumping for 8 years, my needles for my back up insulin pens are pretty old. I assume there has been no change in the needle design and protection in that time.
Click to expand...
The use by date on my last box was 2019 sometime - but all still individually sealed and apparently, still as sharp when occasionally needing to use one or two. I don't know about 'the needle remover' on Lucyr's sharps box either and was going to suggest @John Gray if he can't safely get the inner plastic cover back on the needle to unscrew it with his hand at the side of the screw part rather than from above the pointy end and just chuck it into the sharps bin, mine has a part a pen needle can be easily fitted through horizontally or another hole with 'fingers' of bright yellow slightly softer plastic around the space which requires me to push the item through the fingers into the bin. Because a pen needle has another short needle where it goes through the seal on the pen, this can be a bit risky in which case I use summat to shove it through with eg an item of cutlery or the bottom of a cup or anything that might be handy depending on wherever John happens to keep his sharps bin! Bathroom - eg the bottom of a firm plastic shower gel, shampoo etc 'bottle' - or a tooth mug. Bedroom - firm plastic handle of hairbrush. Kitchen widowledge like mine - cutlery etc.
 
I ream out the left-hand (outer-cover-shaped) hole in each new sharps bin so that the full needle assembly can easily pass through. The sharps bin is kept in the bathroom (since you ask!)...
 
Can't believe that you guys don't know about the needle remover function on the SharpSafe box.... apart from @Lucyr who clearly does. It is the part that looks like a key, rather than the round hole with the "fingers". You put the needle (on the pen) into the main hole and move it to avross to the slightly smaller hole which then grips the needle and you just rotate the pen to screw it off and then tap it with the end of the pen to knock it through into the box if it doesn't just fall through.
We don't need to actually replace the tiny needle cover and there is more risk of pricking your finger doing that. A nurse would certainly not do that as there is a risk of catching herself with a patient contaminated needle. It is less of an issue for us as it is our own needle, so no risk of blood contamination but still needless, although I do replace the small needle cover before disposing, simply because it takes up minimal room in the box and would likely end up in the house somewhere after I dropped it heading for the bin.
 
Probably the reason we don't know about that function is because the sharps bins don't come with any instructions, and because nobody has explained the peculiar shapes and cutouts to us!
You can hardly expect us to be psychic!
[Wanders away, muttering to self...]
 
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Bruce Stephens said:
If you're doing that you may as well unscrew the needle with your fingers.
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And indeed I do just use my fingers to unscrew it. Personally, getting spiked occasionally with my own needles is no big deal to me.
I didn't actually say I use the needle remover, just describing what it is and how you use it.
 
rebrascora said:
Can't believe that you guys don't know about the needle remover function on the SharpSafe box.... apart from @Lucyr who clearly does. It is the part that looks like a key, rather than the round hole with the "fingers". You put the needle (on the pen) into the main hole and move it to avross to the slightly smaller hole which then grips the needle and you just rotate the pen to screw it off and then tap it with the end of the pen to knock it through into the box if it doesn't just fall through.
We don't need to actually replace the tiny needle cover and there is more risk of pricking your finger doing that. A nurse would certainly not do that as there is a risk of catching herself with a patient contaminated needle. It is less of an issue for us as it is our own needle, so no risk of blood contamination but still needless, although I do replace the small needle cover before disposing, simply because it takes up minimal room in the box and would likely end up in the house somewhere after I dropped it heading for the bin.
Click to expand...
That only works if you always inject where the sharps box lives, I don't....
 
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