Safely discarding insulin pen needles

[alreinsch]

Everyone knows never to recap a used needle. My med aids have expressed concern to be about discarding needles from insulin pens. I want to verify so I do not give them the wrong advice. To my knowledge, to discard the needle you place the clear outcovering back over the needle and then twist off needle and discard in sharps. I was taught this is not considered 'recapping' Anyone know the actual approved way to discard this specific needle?

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

I don't know the "actual approved way", but from what you describe, you are essentially recapping it if you put the clear cover back over it, no? What I would suggest a person do, if they are using a needle that is not a safety needle, is have a small sharps container right there, within easy reach, and immediately dispose of the used sharps, syringe and all, in the sharps container.

[microkate]

The problem is insulin pens are for multiple uses, so you can't discard them right after use, and there's no safe way to remove the needle. They're really intended for an individual to use - if you're removing your own needle, risk of a needlestick isn't a big deal. We try to get the person a regular vial of insulin rather than using the pens, but unil then we have to (carefully) recap it and remove the needle.

[S.G.]

Our insulin pens use needles that are safety needles. There's a small plastic cover over the needle that locks in place after the insulin is given preventing the needle from being reused and preventing a used needle from sticking anyone. There's also a green area that turns red after administration so you can visually tell the needle has been used.

ETA - there's no need to put the plastic cover back on before disposal. I would consider that to be recapping. I was taught in nursing school how to recap in an appropriate way but I've seen nurses get stuck doing it.

[Quit Floating Me, BSN, RN]

The insulin needles I have used before in the hospital are one time use. The pen itself is multi-use. The one time use needles are also safety glide. Once you give the injection, a clear protective plastic thing wraps around the needle so that it cannot be used again nor be used to poke someone purposefully or accidentally. Then you just drop the little cap into the sharps container.

Remember to never ever never share insulin pens between patients! They are single patient use only.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

The insulin pens I've seen for use in the home do not have safety needles (actually most needles that are supplied for use in the home are not, but that's a different story). The correct way I was shown to do it by a DNE was to leave the clear cap facing up on the table and to push the needle into it without touching it after and then to remove the entire thing from the pen and dispose of it in the sharps container. I've seen a 15 year old do this independently without any trouble.

[sle9403RN]

Yes it is technically recapping. However insulin pen needles are once and done. They lock after they are pulled out the skin so they are considered safety needles so they are safe. We taught the kids are my facility to put the caps back on to be on the safe side when out in the community.

[microkate]

Not all of them are safety ones though. The ones that keep coming in to our facility aren't. It's just a needle and hub. BD actually sells a little needle-clipping device that breaks off and stores the used needles, so you can then unscrew the hub.

[sle9403RN]

Not all of them are safety ones though. The ones that keep coming in to our facility aren't. It's just a needle and hub. BD actually sells a little needle-clipping device that breaks off and stores the used needles, so you can then unscrew the hub.

Hmmmm. you learn something new everyday!