Convenience, Value, Stupidity?

Went to CVS today to pick up a prescription. Unlike most of my other visits, they actually had the prescription filled and ready to go. Well, almost. The order for 100 B-D Ultra-Fine II syringes was replaced by 100 B-D Ultra-Fine syringes. The difference? Ultra-Fine II are 3/8" and 31 gauge. Regular Ultra-Fine are 1/2" and 30 gauge (the higher the gauge, the thinner the needle). Believe me, when you are sticking one of these suckers into your body, that extra 1/8" makes a difference!

This was the same mistake CVS made the last time I had this prescription refilled. I didn't catch that one until I ran out of my old syringes and went to use the ones from the newly filled prescription. Damn, why does this needle look so GINORMOUS? (That was for you, Elisabeth--heh heh!) I thought maybe I was suddenly turning squeamish--but that didn't make sense. After all, I've been sticking needles into my body for almost two years now.

I checked the box. 1/2", 30 gauge. Is that as small as they go? I checked the B-D website. Nope. I brought the box back to CVS (although I did have to use one of the syringes since I had run out. Ouch!). They checked their computer. I was right--it was supposed to be Ultra-Fine II, 31 gauge, 3/8". They replaced the box with the correct size. This time around I caught the error before I left the store.

The pharmacist asks me how much insulin I inject. What does that matter? It's not a problem with the size of the SYRINGE, it's the size of the freaking needle! They checked their computer again. Again I was right. When will they get it right? Sigh.