Expired needles and syringes

[Clare184]

I've never noticed this before but just spotted expiry dates on needles and syringes. Is this really a thing? Is it like a best before date or a strict use by date? I only inject every 2-3 weeks and bought 100 of everything from medisave a while ago. Drawing up needles went out of date in March, injecting needles good til May, syringes have til August but I've probably got 60-70 left to use! A quick Google seems to suggest plastic elements might degrade - does anyone know if I need to buy new supplies?

[Nackapan]

I think its more to do with period the items stay sterile .

[Jillymo]

I buy my sharps from the same place but cant say I have noticed a date on them but will take a look. Like yourself I buy a 100at a time.

I wouldn't worry about it but if concerned you could try emailing them. You have good eyesight I had to get a magnifier to see the date, mine are dated 2027. You have got me thinking now because I have some stored in a plastic box incase I am ever taken into hospital ! 🤷‍♀️

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Learn something new every day here - I'd never noticed either.

[JanCymru]

I think Nackapan is spot on in her reply; same with first aid kits and supplies. However, the first aid trainer I last attended a course with said in a home setting where items are stored generally in one place, at an ambient temperature and not moved about in bags (where the packaging might get split etc, they are usually quite safe and sterile as long as the packaging is intact. Hope that helps Clare184.

[topazrat]

My daughter has a lot of home I.V. antibiotics, so between her and my P.A. stuff does occasionally go out of date. We've always been told to discard them, as they may no longer be sterile. The needles we dispose of in the sharps bin and we give the big syringes to our Granddaughters to play with in the bath and they are often very stiff, so I guess they do degrade. Maybe someone should come up with a post of 101 things to do with an out of date syringe 😂