Needle shortages?

[JDM]

I use GlucoRx FinePoint pen needles (5mm 31G), but Boots are saying these are out of stock at the supplier and not available. Is anybody else having this issue and if so, does anybody know what the problem is

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Is anybody else having this issue and if so, does anybody know what the problem is

I've no idea, but pharmacies (including Boots) quite often say that kind of thing when actually it's just some problem with the pharmacy's supply chain (and another pharmacy isn't having any problems).

 

[JDM]

I looked at the supplier website and a few of their needles are out of stock. These are the needles my GP prescribed and I have never had need to look at others. Are there any recommendations for an alternative supplier should I need to change?

 

[cameron]

Welcome to the forum @JDM. 🙂

I had the same issue and called my GP to change my prescription for an alternative. They prescribed me BD Micro-Fine Ultra (4mm 32G) which seems to be okay for me. I've used various brands in the past and never had a preference, so I'd be happy sticking with them if necessary.

 

[Robin]

My prescription is just for generic 4mm needles so they should be able to give me any brand if they are out of stock of one. In practice they usually give me the same brand, (Nipro 4sure) which aren’t as good as the branded BD Microfine I used to have on my prescription, they are apparently too expensive for our CCG, but the current ones do the job.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @JDM

Sometimes I get stories of ‘manufacturing issues’ from pharmacies, but as @Bruce Stephens suggests, this is more usually a shorthand for supply chain / wholesaler glitches.

Hope you get in OK with an alternative brand. Mostly you can use any needles pretty much interchangeably, but some people do react to the lubricant on one type but not another.

 

[CivicFreak]

I looked at the supplier website and a few of their needles are out of stock. These are the needles my GP prescribed and I have never had need to look at others. Are there any recommendations for an alternative supplier should I need to change?

For my insulin pens I use Owen Mumford TriCare screw on needles 4mm/32g. So far no supply issues here. If compatible, maybe these could be an option for you?

 

[Adam1978]

I’ve got the same problem - actually that’s why I signed up, to see if anybody else had!

Guess I’ll have to ask for a miscrofine prescription if they don’t turn up soon. Luckily I’ve got a stash but they won’t last forever!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I’ve got the same problem - actually that’s why I signed up, to see if anybody else had!

Guess I’ll have to ask for a miscrofine prescription if they don’t turn up soon. Luckily I’ve got a stash but they won’t last forever!

Yes Diabetes UK have been receiving calls and enquiries about shortages of various GlucoRx, Carepoint and Finepoint needles.

The advice seems to be to ask for a prescription for an alternative brand, which is not currently experiencing shortages.

 

[Deleted member 25429]

I use GlucoRx FinePoint pen needles (5mm 31G), but Boots are saying these are out of stock at the supplier and not available. Is anybody else having this issue and if so, does anybody know what the problem is

I’ve picked up some today from our boots .. seems strange

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I’ve picked up some today from our boots .. seems strange

Often it can be low stock levels at particular wholesalers / distributors

The original shortage of GlucoRx dates from early April so the situation has probably improved substantially.

 

[Deleted member 25429]

Often it can be low stock levels at particular wholesalers / distributors

Yet again they did mess up though . Normally tell my husband if he goes to pick up my prescription what I’ve ordered, didn’t today and they forgot to give him the insulin. Just once I’d love them to get it right ....

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Yet again they did mess up though . Normally tell my husband if he goes to pick up my prescription what I’ve ordered, didn’t today and they forgot to give him the insulin. Just once I’d love them to get it right ....

That happens to me regularly too, luckily I live close to the pharmacy, very annoying!

 

[trophywench]

Our pharmacy pharmacists write FRIDGE on the bag of dispensed meds which they put on the shelf in alphabetical order to be picked up, so we arrive, give name to assistant, she looks for and finds the bag, goes to fridge and finds whatever has my name on it. To try and help her so she knows what to look for we usually tell her what to look for eg 2 vials of insulin, 2 boxes of insulin cartridges, an X or Y injection, a tube of whatever .....

 

[Deleted member 25429]

I

Our pharmacy pharmacists write FRIDGE on the bag of dispensed meds which they put on the shelf in alphabetical order to be picked up, so we arrive, give name to assistant, she looks for and finds the bag, goes to fridge and finds whatever has my name on it. To try and help her so she knows what to look for we usually tell her what to look for eg 2 vials of insulin, 2 boxes of insulin cartridges, an X or Y injection, a tube of whatever .....

I normally tell him for once I didn’t . Most of the time they look at the prescription as they’re giving it to you notice insulin and just get it from the fridge . I think he was served by someone without experience. The no of times I have got wrong items is unreal . Sometimes it’s the surgery sometimes the chemist . On two occasions I’ve had 6 boxes of ketone strips instead of glucose strips . Noticed it the second time but the first time because I had taken them out of the shop they couldn’t take them back . Understand the logic but what a waste of nhs money ... I’ll never use them only tested once for ketones in the last year