Switching needle brand . . .

[sparklestar]

i received a letter from the doctors today saying they are switching my usual BD Microfine 4mm needles to tricare needles. I have never heard of tricare needles (and I work at a GP surgery and regularly issue repeat prescriptions!) so just wondering if anyone had used both the Microfine and tricare and if you noticed any differences?

Claire x

 

[grovesy]

i received a letter from the doctors today saying they are switching my usual BD Microfine 4mm needles to tricare needles. I have never heard of tricare needles (and I work at a GP surgery and regularly issue repeat prescriptions!) so just wondering if anyone had used both the Microfine and tricare and if you noticed any differences?

Claire x

Sorry I can't help with the needles, but the changing brand of needle seems to happening alot. Many have posted about and some have managed to the orignal needles reinstated.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Do you think its cost related? My brand were changed shortly after diagnoses, but look practically identical and are still 5mm, like the original ones.

 

[Ginny03]

Never encountered Tricare. My pharmacy unilaterally decided to change me from the 4mm BDs to GlucoRX last month. I wasn't impressed with the quality of the GlucoRX. Wrote a note on my newly changed repeat prescription when putting it back in and they changed it back.

 

[Robin]

Do you think its cost related? My brand were changed shortly after diagnoses, but look practically identical and are still 5mm, like the original ones.

I'm sure it's cost related! Mine haven't been changed yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time...if they do, and I find they bruise more easily, I shall complain.

 

[mikeyB]

Good grief, living in England is hell. That's the CCGs doing that. It doesn't matter to them if the needles are just extruded old drainpipes with a pointy end, as long as they are cheap. I have never had a change of needle that wasn't prompted by me, and me alone.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

I'm sure it's cost related! Mine haven't been changed yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time...if they do, and I find they bruise more easily, I shall complain.

I bruise less with the brand I have now, or perhaps more likely, I'm better at injecting!

 

[sparklestar]

Do you think its cost related? My brand were changed shortly after diagnoses, but look practically identical and are still 5mm, like the original ones.

I know it is definitely cost related and understand that, but I don't know if these tricare needles will be the same quality if they are nearly half the price?

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

I know it is definitely cost related and understand that, but I don't know if these tricare needles will be the same quality if they are nearly half the price?

Contact the practice manager and contest the change if you don't agree to it.

 

[Ginny03]

I bruise less with the brand I have now, or perhaps more likely, I'm better at injecting!

I'm intrigued - which brand do you have now? (Always looking to reduce bruising!!!)

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

I'm intrigued - which brand do you have now? (Always looking to reduce bruising!!!)

BD Micro-Fine 5mm Pen Needles.

 

[Austin Mini]

Just ask your doctor to put you back on the BD Microfine. Its cost cutting by your surgery. Thats what my doctor told me and just to make sure take your dispensing chemist into his little consulting room and tell him/her NOT to dispense anything but the BD Microfine.

 

[mikeyB]

I'm not sure that would work. If the doctor prescribes "insulin pen injection needles" the pharmacist will issue the cheapest. Same thing with, say, ibuprofen.

 

[trophywench]

Hang on - these are made by an Owen Mumford company - and OM's other products are well known to be very well made indeed. So, they may not actually be the worst needles in the pharmacy. People swear by the wonderfulness of BD products - but their needles have consistently stung me on insertion ever since I had to use their flippin insulin syringes in the 1970's and I've tried their needles lots of times in between to see if I've grown out of it and I haven't. Novofine are great the same as Ypsomed ones were (they're called summat else now) - so what suits one doesn't always suit another.

 

[mikeyB]

Exactly, TW, find the one you're happy with, and get the GP to prescribe them. GPs don't understand how this can vary between different folk.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

They work OK for me! I know other have different experience's!

 

[DaveB]

Hi. I was swapped from BD Microfine to GlucoRX which work fine and much cheaper. Note that a pharmacy MUST dispense what the prescription says and if it states a brand then that's what you should get.

 

[trophywench]

I never even thought of having anything different from BD until I first went onto Lantus. At that time, the 2u Lantus pen required a 'click' fit needle rather than the Novorapid 'screw' fit ones - and the GP actually knew that - so prescribed 'click' fit ones along with the Lantus pens. I happened to get Ypsomed and was surprised when I got the script dispensed, to also get a different box of needles when I still had shedloads of BD ones at home - so the Pharmacist explained.

Some time later - I realised whilst both jabs always stung me - having resolved to apply some logic for a change LOL - the Novo needle was what hurt me and wasn't made worse when the insulin went in - whereas it was the Lantus itself that hurt there, since the stinging from that didn't actually start until after the needle was in and I applied any pressure to the plunger. As - at that time I'd only just changed to Lantus when it was new after a disastrous couple of years on Humulin eek - I didn't at the time tackle to Lantus issue, that came later after the advent of Levemir - but asked the pharmacist again what other needles one could have for the Novo pen - and he had quite a list in his book but he thought I may as well try the 'matching' Novofine ones first - so that's what I asked to change to and WOW. Instant relief for the vast majority of my jabs!

I love 'my' pharmacist - he's really really helpful !

 

[Hops]

I found this post after searching to see if anyone else has experienced quality issues with these Tricare needles.
I've been using Novofine needles for the last 18 years and was switched to Tricare by my GP about a year ago (as others have said, this was stated by my surgery as being a cost-cutting measure).
I'm all for saving the NHS some money where possible, but I have to say I'm really not happy with these new needles.

Issues so far have been:

• Poor compatibility: The first batch I received didn't fit my Novopen 4 correctly because the little plastic cap that covers the needle was too long, so it prevented the pen lid from clicking closed. That was mildly irritating. In fairness it hasn't been an issue since the 2nd batch.
  
• Bent needle shafts or (worse) bent needle tips (fresh out of the wrapper) which struggle to puncture the skin and hurt like hell.
• Blocked needle shaft (which I just experienced, prompting this post).
• Worst of all: an extremely weak needle shaft caused a needle to bend and snap off at the half-way point while still in my thigh! I had to pull it out with tweezers. This was very concerning because I almost didn't notice it happen and could have easily unwittingly left the needle remnant buried under my skin.

So yeah, I'd be interested to see if any of you stuck with the Tricare needles and what your experiences have been?

 

[Ljc]

@Hops , welcome to the forum. Please speak to your gp/team to get them changed. They are probably cheaper, I’m all for saving the nhs some money but our injection sites are important, they have to last us a long time.
If it’s of any help I’m using BD Viva which I find ok though I do occasionally get a blocked needle.