# What can I do with 1000 unused insulin needles? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 1, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036 "2014-04-01T00:30:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/1 "2014-04-01T00:30:44Z")
A friend’s mother was into bulk purchasing and she passed away a month ago. He gave me a bunch of stuff she left behind (massive amounts of sterile gauze, which is a win because it’s virtually the same thing as massive amounts of cheesecloth, which I use all the time) and it includes almost a thousand sterile, still-packaged insulin needles. REtail value looks to be in the neighborhood of at least $150, but since I’m not a pharmacy, I’m thinking I probably can’t sell them. A needle exchange program, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/2 "2014-04-01T00:43:53Z")
Donate to charity, & get a tax deduction. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/3 "2014-04-01T01:03:37Z")
ebay. Pretty sure you can sell them, at least in some states. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/4 "2014-04-01T01:04:00Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Donate to charity, & get a tax deduction. Great idea. Check with your local Red Cross, ask a nearby hospital if they know any organization that could use the needles. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/5 "2014-04-01T01:30:29Z")
Some states require a prescription to sell syringes with needles. I’d check that first if you want to sell them. If you’re amenable to donating them, medical charities like Doctors Without Borders, or even animal shelters can use them. Just call ahead and make sure it’s something they’d like to take. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/6 "2014-04-01T02:25:21Z")
Also consider animal shelters, if that makes it easier. The last set of extra syringes I had got sent to Haiti. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/7 "2014-04-01T02:29:40Z")
Since the OP is looking for advice, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/8 "2014-04-01T02:49:55Z")
They’re not worth much. WalMart sells them for less than 25c each, and most online pharmacies that ship drugs just include them free with order. So it’s unlikely anyone would offer any more than about a hundred bucks on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/9 "2014-04-01T03:07:43Z")
Donating to a needle exchange program would get you bonus karma points. Those folks get noise from just about everybody. A kind gesture would be a welcome change. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/10 "2014-04-01T03:09:07Z")
Ask around. You’d be surprised at how many insulin-dependent diabetics there are out there who would be happy to have them. As for re-selling them, some states require a prescription to sell them in the first place, so advertising them for sale would be illegal. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/11 "2014-04-01T03:39:28Z")
Can you use insulin needles for injecting IV drugs? Or are we talking about some other kind of needle exchange program? ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/12 "2014-04-01T03:46:49Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Can you use insulin needles for injecting IV drugs? Or are we talking about some other kind of needle exchange program? If the addicts using on any of those rehab programs are to be believed, it seems insulin syringes are pretty popular among IV drug users. They’re easy to get due to all the diabetics running around, and the needles are tiny so they don’t damage veins as quickly. Kind of a WAG, but makes sense. I can tell you for sure that they’re the only kind of “civilian” syringe donation we get at my animal shelter (a few thousand in the supply closet right now), any other ones like 3cc and 1cc with 25g or bigger needles, are all from medical suppliers. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/13 "2014-04-01T03:48:50Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > If the addicts using on any of those rehab programs are to be believed, it seems insulin syringes are pretty popular among IV drug users. They’re easy to get due to all the diabetics running around, and the needles are tiny so they don’t damage veins as quickly. Kind of a WAG, but makes sense. I can tell you for sure that they’re the only kind of “civilian” syringe donation we get at my animal shelter (a few thousand in the supply closet right now), any other ones like 3cc and 1cc with 25g or bigger needles, are all from medical suppliers. Thanks. I’m surprised they’re long enough, but I suppose with enough motivation, people can do amazing things. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/14 "2014-04-01T15:52:09Z")
Find a lot of fishermen who like to inflate their night-crawlers. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/15 "2014-04-01T18:25:36Z")
Darts! Or, yeah, donation. Better for the world, not as much fun… ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/16 "2014-04-01T18:36:52Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Find a lot of fishermen who like to inflate their night-crawlers. Vodka into grapes and blueberries 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/17 "2014-04-01T19:55:24Z")
Teach yourself acupuncture 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/18 "2014-04-01T21:25:46Z")
Find the local chapter of International Plastic Modelers Society and donate them to the club. They make great pitot probes for model airplanes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/19 "2014-04-01T21:28:28Z")
Check your local laws before you attempt to sell them. I use bevels for a weekly injection and depending in the pharmacy they can be very tough to get sometimes. If the pharmacist doesn’t know you they always seem to treat you with suspicion. Even with my script for the medication they will only sell me 5 needless at one time, requiring a prescription to purchase more. I’m really not sure if they are regulated, but I would hate to hear you got busted for selling them. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036/20 "2014-04-01T22:05:57Z")
You can make a needle pit ala [Saw 2](http://sawfilms.wikia.com/wiki/The_Needle_Pit) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-with-1000-unused-insulin-needles/685036.md?page=2)