Hi All. We have been asked by an employee if he can store a small amount of insulin at work- in the canteen fridge. Has anyone else dealt with a request such as this? Ta Andy

What’s the issue with storing insulin in a fridge? The user might be worried about it being nicked. Is it just the insulin or a complete injector? Conceivable some muppet could get hold of it and inject themselves but I’d say the risks are overall low.

In addition to the replies already given, has the person considered using one of the Frio products? I have used these for many years and they are excellent, easy to use and convenient. Just a thought. http://www.friouk.com/

As a nurse it's an absolute no no to store food and medication in the same fridge due to food contamination. To be honest I've often popped my food in the same fridge and survived to tell the tale (but don't tell my boss - it's instant disciplinary!) Also diabetics will store their spare medication in their fridge at home but the big difference is everyone who uses the fridge will be aware of the insulin being there. Most insulin's can last out of the fridge for about a month so it doesn't have to be stored in the fridge, so I would ask if it does 100% have to be in there? Also make sure there are no needles kept with it, obviously, some diabetics do re-use their needles. If it was me I'd get another fridge to be on the safe side.

Could the person not have an insulin Epipen instead and have that in their drawer / bag? I have a member of staff that carries an epipen with their medication (it's not insulin but something else) which they keep in their bag. The person wears a medi-alert bracelet and the line manager is aware of their medical history. They also carry a spare pen in their car (in the glove compartment which is locked when they leave the vehicle). This person's condition is life threatening as failure to respond quickly could result in death so we have a written risk assessment which the person was involved in (along with a consultant). It was tested out a month after it was introduced when the person was involved in an RTA and had to self administer the medication before being taken to hospital. Her consultant congratuated the organisation on taking her condition seriously and having undertaken a risk assessment and provided practical recommendations based on the medical aspects. In another job, I had a lady that also had an epipen which was held in the first aid box with a note on the front. All the staff were informed what the pen was for, who needed it and why as the lady in question was happy for everyone to know so it's important to check with the person whether they want the rest of the staff to be aware of their health issue. If it does HAVE to be insulin bottles and stored at a certain temperature (say because the area is very hot normally so leaving them in a drawer etc would be an issue) what about one of those small micro fridges you can buy that hold a couple of cans? It would be the person's responsibility to defrost it etc but would only be used by that person (and cited close to where they worked).

Anyone who has had diabetes for any length of time will know what they need to do to ensure the safe use and storage of their treatment be it insulin or exenatide/byetta (which is what I think is what Melrose at #9 is referring to, rather than an epipen which is used to treat anaphylaxis and in my experience this doesn’t need refrigeration). I really don’t think that a separate fridge is necessary. If necessary insulin can be kept ‘cool’ by the use of Frio products or similar, they are very effective, ‘cheap’ and easy to use. Once opened exenatide can be kept at room temperature, although many still chose to refrigerate it or use a Frio type product. Most people who suffer from diabetes are aware of their ‘responsibilities’ regarding both their medication and any ‘sharps’ that they ‘produce’. ‘Modern’ insulin pens have ‘needles’ that are easy to render effectively ‘harmless’ after use.