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National Needle Exchange Forum
c/o Brenda Nash, Drugscope, 32 Loman Street,
London, SE1 0EE
e-mail: nxforum@drugscope.org.uk
18th June 2004
Michael McGowan,
Sales and Marketing Director,
Becton Dickenson,
Cowley, Oxford
OX4 3LY
Dear Mr McGowan,
Becton Dickenson 1ml Microfine Insulin
Syringes
You will perhaps already know that a meeting of the National
Needle Exchange Forum was held in London on the 1st of April
2004. The agenda included a discussion of the problems which
have been experienced by needle exchanges with the above product
since the latter part of 2003. More than one hundred members
of the Forum from all parts of the country attended. Following
the meeting, a number of members have written to us giving
details of their own experiences.
Recently I received a copy of the letter in which you acknowledge
"less than optimal needle point quality" as regards
three specific lot numbers. I am now writing on behalf of
the Forum in order to let you know the views which our members
have expressed. I enclose a summary of the comments we have
received. These make clear that the reliability of injecting
equipment is a key issue for our members, when seeking to
gain the trust of drug injectors and to promote safer injecting
behaviour.
We are, of course, pleased to hear that you have now examined
your manufacturing process with a view to improving quality
control. However, we feel disappointed that it has taken several
months to receive an acknowledgement of the reality of the
problem. Members who spoke at the meeting recounted similar
experiences of making approaches to your company, which they
consider were not taken as seriously as they deserved to be.
It was clear from the meeting that the same problems were
being experienced by different agencies, but people were told
that their complaint was an "isolated incident".
Our colleague Dr. Elliot Imbert of Apothicom in France was
also present at the meeting, and reported that he had experienced
the same difficulties.
Your product remains the brand leader in the field. We are
therefore surprised that Becton Dickenson did not respond
more quickly to protect the reputation of your company and
product. We would like to be assured that your response would
be more rapid if a similar problem should emerge in future.
Needle exchanges account for a large part of the market for
injecting equipment. As your insulin syringes currently cost
approximately two pence each more than rival products, it
seems reasonable for us to expect a higher level of quality
and customer care from your company.
Yours faithfully,
Alan Neill, Member of NNEF Planning Group
c.c. Ralph Hilberath, BD France
c.c. Kim Jones, BD Oxford
TOP
National Needle Exchange Forum
c/o Brenda Nash, Drugscope, 32 Loman Street,
London, SE1 0EE
e-mail: nxforum@drugscope.org.uk
Becton Dickenson 1ml Insulin Syringes
Summary of Comments Received From Members of NNEF
Written comments were received from several agencies throughout
England, as well as those expressed at the Forum Meeting held
in London on 1st April 2004. The following extracts include
comments from harm reduction agencies in Lincolnshire, Manchester,
Sheffield, the Midlands, London, and Devon.
"During January we were getting complaints from our
needle exchanges about 1ml BD needles being either blunt or
barbed, or becoming detached from the barrels."
"Our needle exchanges cannot be seen to be issuing faulty
needles as our work mainly advocates safer injecting techniques…Clients
may then be at risk of developing infected injecting sites
due to faulty equipment."
"It could drive clients to go back to sharing injecting
equipment, which could then lead to an increase in blood-borne
viruses."
"Initially the company were unhelpful saying that no-one
else had complained. After our initial package went to Ireland
for analysis we heard nothing."
"Clients were complaining of blunt, barbed and leaking
needles, sometimes there being two needles coming from a barrel."
"We saw the evidence from two clients who brought them
in to show us of the needle becoming detached from the barrel."
"There seems to have been a known problem for several
months ….. and these batches have not been officially
recalled."
"Providing faulty goods will undo the hard work and
effort we put in to gain our clients' trust."
"Provision of sub-standard goods will not encourage
attendance for clean equipment."
"I should also like to share with you some of their
comments: Are they seconds? Have these needles been recycled?"
| "The problems that were reported were
as follows: |
| |
The needle is flimsy, not sturdy enough.
More than one needle on the end of the syringe.
The needle is bent.
The needle is already barbed (before being used).
It won't draw up.
The plunger bounced.
The needle became detached from the syringe." |
"We all seem to be told that this is an isolated incident
when we know this is not the case."
Ran 496 (June 2004)
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