What do the needles, syringes, lancets and reagent strips of diabetic patients become in the absence of a common attitude? About 1070 questionnaires in diabetic clinics.

The aim was to investigate the fate of injection and monitoring material after its use by diabetic patients in different countries (France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzeland and Tunisia). Some suitable containers are available for disposal but little is known about the attitudes of patients and physicians to them. 1 070 questionnaires were completed by patients (age: 50 +/- 18 years; diabetes duration: 15 +/- 11 years; 2.8 +/- 1.1 injections per day) visiting 109 doctors. Injections were done at home (72.6%), or both at home and at work (26.6%). At home: needles, syringes, lancets and reagent strips were thrown directly into the bin in 46.9%, 49.9%, 52.2% and 67.6% of cases, respectively; and in a closed plastic bottle in 29. 6%, 28.5%, 28.9% and 19.9% of cases, respectively. Specific containers were used in 8.6% and 6.3% of cases for needles and syringes, respectively. 62% of the bottles and containers were thrown directly into the bin, whereas 15.5% were returned to a pharmacy (4.5% taken to hospitals, 2.9% were burned). At work: 63% of the patients brought their needles and syringes home for disposal, 6.9% kept suitable containers at work and 30% threw their materials directly into local bins. We conclude that awareness should be increased and the organization of the collection of used material improved.