Diabetes Lancet: Complete User Manual

How often should you change a lancet?

Losing track of when you last changed your lancet? You’re not alone. Read on to find out how often you need to change your lancet, and why.

What the manufacturers say

Lancet manufacturers recommend changing the lancet with each use. You’re probably thinking: of course, that’s what they will say because they want us to use more and buy more. In reality, though, most diabetics use the same lancet for an average of 1-2 weeks. AS LONG AS YOU’RE NOT SHARING THE LANCET. 

Accu-Check, India’s most commonly used manufacturer of Glucometers, has this to say: The use of an expired lancet (drum) may cause an infection at the puncture site as the lancet may have lost its sterility. The company guarantees four years of sterility (from the date of sterilization), giving you have plenty of time to use up your lancets. (ref: https://www.accu-chek.com.au/faq/)

How much of a pain is it?

Nobody wants to go pricking their fingers with a dull lancet, so it makes sense to change regularly. However, it would take some time to get dull, and since it’s a quick prick with very little blood drawn out, most diabetics are content to change it every couple of weeks, if that.

If you’re checking your BSL five-six times a day, changing the lancet every time may be a bit of a bother. But those many pricks will blunt the lancet faster too. So, you might want to change up a little more frequently. 

In conclusion

As long as you’re the only person using the glucometer, it should be quite safe to use for a couple of weeks at a time, depending, of course, on the frequency of usage. Bear in mind though, that lancets lose their sterility over time. Using an infected one can lead to infections at the puncture site.

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