Caring for your diabetic supplies is an important part of managing type 2 diabetes. Proper care will ensure your supplies last as long as you need them to — and that you have a better chance of controlling your blood sugar.
Testing strips, glucose meters, medications, and supplies with sharp edges all need special attention. Once you develop the habits that will keep your supplies in working condition, you will find those habits to be almost second nature.
Disposing of 'Sharps'
Managing diabetes means dealing with sharp edges — needles and lancets, otherwise known as sharps. You have to toss them somewhere when you’re done. The family or office trashcan is not the best place, however.
“Sharp needles are bad for young kids. They can get at it and poke themselves,” says internist Danny Sam, MD, the residency program director with Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara, Calif. His practice specializes in the treatment of adult diabetes.
And at work, consider the risk that the janitorial staff faces emptying the spiky garbage bags at the end of the day.
“If a diabetic has a blood infection, there is a risk of transmission for someone who gets stuck with the used needle,” says Dr. Sam, emphasizing the seriousness of this aspect of diabetes care.
Here’s what to do with your sharps:
  • Sharps disposal. Talk to clinic or pharmacy staff to find out if they have a system for safely getting rid of your sharps. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers more information on proper sharp disposal.
  • Sharps container. Many pharmacies will provide you with a secure container that can hold your used needles or lancets until you bring them in for safe disposal. You can develop your own secure system as well — find a box that won’t open easily and can be put out of the way of other family members or officemates.
Tending to Medications and Testing Strips
The same basic care tips will keep your medications and your testing strips in top condition. Here are the diabetic supplies tips you need:
  • Check dates. Make sure you know how long your medications are good for. Don’t use them past the expiration date on the package.
  • Stay cool. “Heat limits the lifespan of products,” says Sam. Always keep medications and testing strips in a cool, dry space. This can be a challenge if you are outdoors in the heat — camping, for example — but consider using a cooler to store meds and a sealable baggie to keep strips dry. Just as heat poses a danger to supplies, so does extreme cold — so don’t store medications in the freezer, or let them come in contact with ice.
  • Do a visual check. Make sure that medications — especially insulin — look normal. Keep a watchful eye out for changes in color or crystallization in the bottle, which are signs that your medication should not be used.
  • Read the label. While you are looking for expiration dates, check the label on your medications and strips. Each supplier and brand may have a different range of temperatures for storing and using them, so be sure to check instead of making assumptions. Certain situations will always be bad bets, however, such as stashing medication or testing strips in the glove compartment of your car or in direct sunlight.
Keeping Glucose Meters Going
Your glucose meter should soon feel like a natural part of your life, but remember, “They are electrical systems,” says Sam. Keeping them in good working condition means:
  • Staying cool. Leaving your blood glucose meter in the heat can hurt its function — or even melt it. Keep it in the same cool, dry location as your other supplies. Most meters work best between 50 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that a closed car on a hot day can get much hotter than this. A few models are available that can tolerate higher temperatures.
  • Use control. Use the control solution that comes with your meter — or is recommended for use with your meter — to check that both your meter and your testing strips are working correctly. Control solution lasts about 30 days before it needs to be replaced.
  • Check batteries. Many glucose meters require batteries. Keep spare batteries on hand so you can make the exchange as needed.
  • Tune-ups. You may also need to take your glucose meter in to a technician if it starts to give you abnormal or unusual readings. Make sure you read the information that comes with the meter to make sure you know who to contact for questions about its function.
Following these steps and carefully reading the materials that accompany your supplies will help you keep your diabetes care tools at their best, giving you another advantage over diabetes.