defective needles?

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Mouse & Me

Mouse & Me

Member Since 2016
I noticed a darker color under the plunger from a batch of needles. I threw it away. Too suspicious.
Tonight, it was on another needle, plus, the plunger was stiff.
If you look at the photo, you'll see that the color near the top of the needle is darker. The photo lightened it up a little.

I suspect the lubrication deteriorated, causing the darker color, and jamming the needle.
I took a shot of this needle, and will bring it down to the pharmacy tomorrow, and contact the company, that is, unless other people have run across this curious color problem, and it's really nothing?
 

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haven't heard of that particular one but all the syringes available aren't great quality.
Many syringes aren't even marked correctly, you can't trust the markings to be exact.
The best syringes aren't made any more so you just have to make adjustments when you know what the flaw is. The pharmacy should replace your box for you.
 
rhiannon and shadow (GA) said:
haven't heard of that particular one but all the syringes available aren't great quality.
Many syringes aren't even marked correctly, you can't trust the markings to be exact.
The best syringes aren't made any more so you just have to make adjustments when you know what the flaw is. The pharmacy should replace your box for you.
Click to expand...
I have a feeling that if they replace the box, the darkness will show up again.
Someone suggested using calipers, or using a specialty ruler, to make the dosage more accurate. I thought that they were being a little too picky until now
 
That sure looks like lubrication deterioration. Super disgusting and very disappointing. I can't imagine a human with diabetes and poor vision using this or someone without the means to immediately replace them. I would take the barcode, product number and lot number and contact the FDA.
I have worked in a quality control environment and there are some things we should all know. A big company does not produce 5,000 of one size, then switch to 2,000 of another size. They start with a plastic tube 5 miles long and whack out 100,000 at a time. Then they might sit in a warehouse in China for 6 months before being shipped around the planet. Right now I'm looking at a box of BD's and the expiry date is blank! My Monojects don't have an expiry date. I know there is a method to decipher manufacture dates in the lot number but that should not be left to us to figure out.
I use AccuChek strips and currently there is a recall for defective strips. The notice is buried quite deep in their website and my pharmacy doesn't know anything about it or have a notice posted at the counter.
Sorry for the rant everyone but this is unacceptable and borderline unethical. My meter, strips and syringes are meant for humans so "it's just a cat" does not apply. That could be your child having some mysterious goop floating in their body. Just makes me really mad.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
That sure looks like lubrication deterioration. Super disgusting and very disappointing. I can't imagine a human with diabetes and poor vision using this or someone without the means to immediately replace them. I would take the barcode, product number and lot number and contact the FDA.
I have worked in a quality control environment and there are some things we should all know. A big company does not produce 5,000 of one size, then switch to 2,000 of another size. They start with a plastic tube 5 miles long and whack out 100,000 at a time. Then they might sit in a warehouse in China for 6 months before being shipped around the planet. Right now I'm looking at a box of BD's and the expiry date is blank! My Monojects don't have an expiry date. I know there is a method to decipher manufacture dates in the lot number but that should not be left to us to figure out.
I use AccuChek strips and currently there is a recall for defective strips. The notice is buried quite deep in their website and my pharmacy doesn't know anything about it or have a notice posted at the counter.
Sorry for the rant everyone but this is unacceptable and borderline unethical. My meter, strips and syringes are meant for humans so "it's just a cat" does not apply. That could be your child having some mysterious goop floating in their body. Just makes me really mad.
Click to expand...

No apology for the rant - I feel the same way. I had family with diabetes, and wondered what would happen to one of them, especially my mom who had very bad eyesight, if she used the bad syringe.

Just got off the phone with Walgreens, and they want the syringe for study.
I filed a complaint with FDA. Hope they don't want another needle....wait, I have the other bad one in my canister. Looks like I'll be doing some digging. Lucky for me, I scribbled with a marker on the cap, so it wouldn't be used accidentaly before I could dispose of it.

Thanks for the advice.
 
I never noticed that before bit will be looking closer from now on.

I use the ruler. Printed it and laminated it. It has helped a lot. 0.5 units on the ruler is anywhere from the zero mark to the 0.5 mark on the syringes - go figure!
 
Tracey&Jones said:
I never noticed that before bit will be looking closer from now on.

I use the ruler. Printed it and laminated it. It has helped a lot. 0.5 units on the ruler is anywhere from the zero mark to the 0.5 mark on the syringes - go figure!
Click to expand...
The darkness was new for me also. I have noticed rounded plungers, concave and convex. How do you get an accurate measurement on a curved line? All this time, I thought, well, others do it. Naive.
Time for a new method.
 
I'm still naïve because I trust people to do the right thing. What really disappoints me is finding a mistake, pointing it out to the right people and not having anything done about it. Asking for the manager doesn't cut it anymore, we basically have to watch out for each other.
I'd love to be in Walgreens if and when you bring it back. Making a big stink in public is something I'm good at.
 
Mouse & Me said:
No apology for the rant - I feel the same way. I had family with diabetes, and wondered what would happen to one of them, especially my mom who had very bad eyesight, if she used the bad syringe.

Just got off the phone with Walgreens, and they want the syringe for study.
I filed a complaint with FDA. Hope they don't want another needle....wait, I have the other bad one in my canister. Looks like I'll be doing some digging. Lucky for me, I scribbled with a marker on the cap, so it wouldn't be used accidentaly before I could dispose of it.

Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...
found the syringe! It's darker than the other one!
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
I'm still naïve because I trust people to do the right thing. What really disappoints me is finding a mistake, pointing it out to the right people and not having anything done about it. Asking for the manager doesn't cut it anymore, we basically have to watch out for each other.
I'd love to be in Walgreens if and when you bring it back. Making a big stink in public is something I'm good at.
Click to expand...
Making a stink in public does nothing either...sigh.....someone tried to refill my prescription, I called, told the pharmacy to stop, and yet, I was notified that it was ready to pick up! I came into the store, asked to see the manager, who put the bag aside, (for whom?), and warned them, that if it ever happened again, I would come back with the police - it was a controlled substance I was on temporarily. I stopped taking it, and yet, they were filling it without a doctors prescription, or my permission. This went on for a month! Police don't care either. They had no interest in something they had to investigate.
The doctor shrugged it off also.
 
Mouse & Me said:
Police don't care
Click to expand...
What a shock. :rolleyes: The cops here are great but the 911 operators just don't get it. The civvies at the front desk for non-emergency stuff are worse, I think they went to school on the short bus. When I called (not 911) to report kids having a Roman Candle fireworks fight she just hemmed and hawed until I said "So would you like me to take care of it?"
"Sir, you know this conversation is being recorded don't you?"
"Yes I do. Now when the school burns down we'll have proof you knew but did nothing about it!" CLICK
Animal control is a longer story, maybe another day. Speaking of quality control I used to work at the cow factory but weekend BBQ's are coming so I'll spare everyone.
 
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