Hello! I am wondering if anyone knows of a cheaper alternative for universal fit insulin pen needles? I am very new to type 1, (was diagnosed in late February of this year), and am still paying out of pocket for my needles. I have been using BD 4 mm and they are pricey! Cheapest I’ve seen is $57 and that adds up. I have been doing some searches and I am seeing very good reviews for “PIP Universal Insulin Pen Needles”. But I reluctant to purchase with so little knowledge of a reliable, cheaper source. If anyone has any ideas, I would be so grateful! Thanks.
At Amazon they start at about $10/box of 100 and if you are careful, you can use a needle for up to about 50 injections so cost per injection is really next to nothing.
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Thanks! I was told to throw out my needles after every injection. Are you saying I could make them last longer? That would be AMAZING! I feel like I have wasted so much money on needles.
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Yes, there is a lot of pomp and ceremony in the medical field but after a while we each do what we are comfortable with. I have not used an alcohol wipe in over 30 years and yes, I use a BD needle for about 50 injections before it goes bad. You need to try things out and do what works best for you under your circumstances.
On this forum, we can only tell you what works for us, but what works for one person does not necessarily work well for another.
The more you learn, the more you test and act on the result of your tests, the better control you will have over time.
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Here is a coupon for a free box of BD pen needles. At least i think it is
https://www.bd.com/resource.aspx?IDX=22805
At $2600 per 100 the cost of pen needles is $0.26 per needle. I have reused pen needles and no I do not use alcohol swabs. As CJ114 said it is all about what you are comfortable doing. For me $0.26 is worth the increased pain of using a dull needle and the small risk of infection.
No wrong answers on this one. Do what works.
rick
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They also tell us to change the needle every time we do a finger prick… Yet most of celebrate the once yearly changing of the lancet.
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I only change needles when they bend, and I always inject through my clothes.
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Assume you meant $26.00 ?
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I most confess, I never listened to them on that one! 
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Thanks! I am sure I will figure out what is good for me as I continue to adjust. I really appreciate the advice!
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Heck no, 2.6K for a box of pen needles. I like the primo pen needles.
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When I was on MDI, I used to order Care Touch pen needles from Amazon. They have different gauges and lengths. They run $8-$10 per box of 100.
Relion universal pen needles are $9.95 at Walmart. I have been using them for a year.
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CJ114. Yes Amazon is the cheapest I found for needles.
Tried to order them but they said they couldn’t ship to Connecticut. I then signed up for the Amazon Pharmacy got a script from my Endo Doc. I ended up using my sister in laws address in Florida where it was legal to ship to.
She then repacked them and sent them to me.
However I would not attempt to get 50 injections off one needle. I found they get dull after about 10
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I to must confess I don’t change lancets every time either.
Amazon has a weird glitch where they have stopped shipping pen needles to certain states. At the same time I was just able to order generic pen needles from a medical supplier and they have already been shipped to me in Minnesota while Amazon wouldn’t ship them to me.
The generic needles were $12.99 per box plus $5.99 shipping. Way cheaper than BD needles from my pharmacy where after a week they didn’t get a prescription from my endo and wouldn’t dispense without a prescription.
Laddie, I suggest getting the $1,299 box of pen needles. They drive them to your door. Its the best. service around.
rick
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Different states have different laws regarding needles. This extends to pen needles as well.
We all have IV drug users to thank for this.
In California it’s easy, you only need to state the purpose for the needles. “ I have diabetes” is all you need.
Other states require a prescription. And still others require and distributor to verify prescriptions with the doctor who wrote it.
So that’s why Amazon won’t ship to some states, maybe they just dont want to bother with the extra steps and hassle.
Many years ago when I was on mdi, I just went to the pharmacy to get needles and it was no issue.
I went to Vegas for a weekend and realized I had no syringes so I went to a pharmacy and I was told to get lost. Because I had no prescription, they were paper back then, and I never needed it so I don’t think I ever asked for one back in the day.
I had to drive back across the California border to get syringes.
good times
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I ran into that issue once when the script lapsed for the pen needles. I said just sell me a box, I will pay cash. By law they could only sell me 10 syringes. I looked up the legislation myself and sure enough it was in there. I have no idea why pen needles were included in that, they’re nowhere near long enough to use for nefarious purposes.
I like the Care Touch 31G 8mm 100 pack Pen Needles on Amazon. Usually $10 and free shipping with Prime. I change them once a week on my short acting insulin, which I inject 5 to 7 times a day versus long acting that is only once a day and use 1 needle for the whole pen. I like this gauge and length as they can go through my clothes and I know insulin won’t leak out as much as with shorter needles. Occasionally the needle can go through the cap when you put it back on not straight and then I change it right away because it dulls it and could cause possible contamination.