First timer and silly question about sharps removal

[Summerbay23]

I’ve just done my first injection. Pill sorted gave me a mini sharps disposal bin but the needle with outer cap doesn’t fit through the hole?? Am I missing something?? The pen lid is back on the pen and I’m planning on storing in the fridge even though I don’t need to, is that ok??? Just not sure about getting rid of the needle.

Thanks

What kind of sharps bin is it that they sent you? For now, you could put the needle in a tupperware box with a lid out of the reach of any children. You can order a sharps bin from amazon or from an online pharmacy. I have this one:

https://www.medisave.co.uk/products/sharpsguard-yellow-1-ltr-sharps-bin-single?currency=GBP&variant=44837853036827&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=34c6ddfaad06&utm_medium=adwords&utm_campaign=Needles_Syringes_PMAX&utm_source=&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwwe2_BhBEEiwAM1I7sYM52mGHm8VsdX3CVp5qQ2R97daazitHXtidHUnLgF1baycclh8foBoCfNEQAvD_BwE

I always store my opened (and unopened) pens in the fridge. The open pen doesn't have to be in the fridge, but that's just my preference.

They sent a mini one, literally about 3-4 inches long but the hole isn’t wide enough for the needle in its cover. Seems a bit weird. I’ll store in tuppaware for now.

Are you meant to take the pen out of the fridge 15 minutes or so before your dose do that it is not super cold? Think I forgot about that two in my enthusiasm/nerves.

No, you don't need to take the pen out of the fridge for 15 minutes. Although you can if you like. The dose you're injecting is 0.6ml, it's a tiny amount of liquid, and the fact that it is fridge cold won't be perceptible when you inject it.

I've just seen some very small sharps bins online, that don't have a hole big enough to take the larger cap, which is not really very helpful when that's what you put back on the needle after using it. I would feed back to your pharmacy that what they have supplied for a sharps bin isn't suitable and see if they might send you a larger replacement.

I think the idea with the mini sharps bins are you leave the needle on the pen, insert it into the bin and it has teeth the unscrew it off the pen. Can you try that?

Ahh, maybe, that makes sense although there were absolutely no instructions about that. I’ve taken the needle off the pen now so don’t want to put it back on and risk damaging the pen.

@Summerbay23 also, just seen your other post on the April thread. You don’t need to wipe your skin with the swab at all, the swab is for the red seal at the end of the pen. You also don’t need to pinch any skin, you just insert the needle straight on into your body.

@Summerbay23agree not worth putting back on pen, can you point the needle into the sharps box and push it in with the the end of teaspoon or something similar so you don’t stab yourself?

Unfortunately no, the hole is just too small, don’t think I can easily retrieve the needle now. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow when the house is quiet. Thank you.

Thank you x

I ordered through PillSorted last week too and have had the same issue! I’ve just put mine in an old takeaway box for now but will be having a go with leaving the cap off and using the lid of the bin to unscrew the needle on my next dose

Is it this one? Looks like closing the lid also performs a function, perhaps pushing the needle into the container part

Yes, that’s the one thanks, I’ll try that next week.

Can I ask , whilst talking about sharps and bins.. if you were stupid enough to stab yourself in the finger whilst attempting to get it in to bin it wouldn’t do any harm would it ?

I had the same, but I emailed them and they sent me a larger container out the same day and apologised for the error.

@TheDutchHouse think a large number of us learned the hard way there is a pointy bit at the other side of the pen needle too and lived to tell the tale!

Hehe glad it wasn’t just me , weirdly my thumb hurts more than the original injection site !

I guess the risk is more to other people rather than yourself, so if you had any type of infection transferable (hepatitis, hiv etc) then this could be passed in theory to someone else if the needle wasn’t disposed of properly. Don’t think you’d do any harm to yourself.

Thanks @pinkpinkeverywhere they are apparently sending me a bigger one.

Oh. I have that small bin for travel and never realised that’s how you’re meant to use it 😂🤦🏼‍♀️ I just put the inner cover on the needle and it pops in nicely! Will experiment with the twist next time!