How to best care for your diabetic supplies

Your diabetic supplies include diabetic testing strips, glucose meters, lancets to draw blood and any medications including insulin. Taking good care of your supplies will help you manage your condition and keep you in better health.

Key Steps for Taking Care of Your Diabetic Supplies

• Disposing of Sharps: Find a safe place to dispose of your ‘sharps’, or the lancets you use to draw a pinprick of brood for your regular blood sugar level tests. See your doctor, local pharmacy or the Centers for Disease Control for information on sharps disposal. 
• Medications: Check expiration dates and required storage conditions. Most medications require cool, dry conditions. Make sure your medication looks like it usually does — keep your eye out for any change in color or consistency.
• Diabetic Testing Strips: Like medications, test strips have expiration dates and storage requirements, so check those and make sure your test strips are in good condition.
• Glucose Meters: Store your glucose meter in a cool, dry place and keep extra batteries on hand so you never lose power. If you have a concern about how well your glucose meter is functioning, get it checked out by a technician.

Extra Test Strips

Sometimes you’ll find you have extra, unused and unexpired test strips. If you do and you want to sell them, you can send them in to Test Strip Buyers — it’s quick and easy!